The Falkville Metallic Being Photographs
Police Chief Jeff Greenhaw responded to a UFO report and encountered a being in a shiny metallic suit. He photographed it four times with his Polaroid camera before it fled at inhuman speed. The photographs became some of the most controversial UFO-related images of the 1973 wave.
On the night of October 17, 1973 - at the peak of the massive 1973 UFO wave - Police Chief Jeff Greenhaw of Falkville, Alabama responded to a report of a UFO landing. What he encountered was not a craft, but a being in a shiny, metallic suit standing in the road. Greenhaw photographed the entity four times with his Polaroid camera before it fled at extraordinary speed, outrunning his patrol car. The photographs became iconic images of the 1973 wave, though they cost Greenhaw his career and marriage.
The Witness
Jeff Greenhaw
His position was that of Police Chief of Falkville, Alabama, a small town in Morgan County with an approximate population of 1,000. He was a respected law enforcement officer with no prior history of hoaxes or mental issues.
The Context
The 1973 wave occurred on October 17, 1973, representing the peak of the widespread UFO phenomenon. That single day, seven humanoid encounters were reported across the United States. This event triggered a national UFO hysteria, fueled by the Pascagoula abduction six days earlier. Media attention was intense, focusing on the increasing number of reported sightings.
The Encounter
The Call
The encounter began approximately 10:00 PM when Greenhaw received a call at his home reporting a UFO landing in a field outside Falkville. He responded in his patrol car.
Initial Search
Upon arriving at the reported location, Greenhaw drove to the area and conducted a search. He found no visible UFO, but began driving back when he observed something standing in the road.
The Being
Greenhaw observed a figure standing in the middle of the road, approximately 6 feet tall. The figure was entirely wrapped in a shiny, metallic material resembling aluminum foil. The material covered the entire body, including the head, and featured no visible facial features aside from an antenna-like protrusion on its head.
Immediate Reaction
Greenhaw immediately stopped his patrol car, grabbed his Polaroid camera (which he typically used for accident documentation), approached the figure, and attempted to question it; however, the being did not respond to his questions and remained motionless initially.
The Photographs
Four Images Captured
Greenhaw took four Polaroid photographs of the being, utilizing the flash to illuminate the metallic suit. Each frame clearly showed the being visible, and the photographs were taken over a brief period, providing sequential shots. The instant development of the photographs ensured there was no possibility of manipulation.
What They Show
The photographs depict a humanoid figure clad in a reflective suit, exhibiting wrinkled or creased metallic material, a dark visor or face area, and a standing posture. The images also included the road and surrounding vegetation.
The Flight
The being suddenly turned and began running at a speed described as “faster than any human.” Greenhaw pursued in his patrol car but was unable to keep up at speeds exceeding 35 miles per hour. The being then disappeared into the darkness.
The Aftermath
Immediate Response
Following the encounter, Greenhaw reported the incident, submitted the photographs, filed an official report, contacted UFO researchers, and maintained his account.
Public Reaction
The story quickly gained national attention and became part of the extensive coverage surrounding the 1973 wave. The photographs were widely published, sparking immediate debate and establishing Greenhaw as a prominent figure in the UFO discussion.
Personal Cost
The public attention resulted in significant personal costs for Greenhaw, including ridicule, the loss of his job as police chief, a divorce, and the suspicious burning of his home.
Analysis
Photograph Examination
Analysis of the Polaroid format confirmed that darkroom manipulation was impossible, indicating that whatever was photographed was truly present. The photographs revealed a reflective material, an apparent humanoid form, and sparked continued debate regarding the nature of the entity.
Skeptical Interpretation
Critics suggested that the encounter may have involved a person in a costume, a deliberate hoax perpetrated on Greenhaw, or an individual wearing an aluminum foil suit as a prank during the period of heightened UFO hysteria. Some suggested a deliberate deception.
Problems with Skepticism
Despite these skeptical interpretations, counterarguments pointed to the inexplicable speed of the being’s escape and Greenhaw’s inability to catch a running figure, suggesting that the account should be taken seriously, and questioning the motive behind the hoax.
Greenhaw’s Position
Greenhaw consistently maintained his account until his death, never recanting his experience and highlighting the devastating personal impact of the report. He had no profit motive and displayed a clear sense of fear throughout his accounts.
The 1973 Wave Context
October 17 Significance
October 17, 1973, witnessed a remarkable phenomenon: seven humanoid encounters across the United States, representing the peak of UFO activity. Multiple abduction reports were also reported that day, contributing to a nationwide phenomenon.
Regional Activity
The 1973 wave was particularly active in the Southeast, with significant sightings in Alabama, Mississippi (specifically Pascagoula), Tennessee, and Georgia.
The Photographs Today
Continued Debate
The photographs remain studied by researchers, neither definitively proven as a hoax nor confirmed as authentic. Whatever is shown was photographed, and the identity of the entity remains unknown. They are considered part of the historical record of UFO photographic evidence.
Cultural Impact
The images have become iconic representations of the 1973 UFO wave, appearing in documentaries, being discussed in UFO literature, and representing a period of strangeness and uncertainty. The question remains open.
The Question
October 17, 1973. Falkville, Alabama.
Jeff Greenhaw is police chief of a small town. Population one thousand. Everybody knows everybody. He’s a respected man.
The phone rings. Woman says she saw a UFO land outside town.
He drives out. Searches. Finds nothing.
Heading back, something is standing in the road.
Six feet tall. Covered head to toe in shiny metal. Like aluminum foil wrapped around a human form. An antenna on its head. No face visible.
Greenhaw is a cop. He does what cops do. He gets out. He talks to it. It doesn’t respond.
He has his Polaroid. The one he uses for accident scenes. He takes pictures.
Flash. The metallic surface reflects the light.
Flash. The thing stands there.
Flash. Still motionless.
Flash. Four photographs.
Then it runs.
Not like a person runs. Faster. Much faster.
Greenhaw jumps in his car. Floors it. 35 miles per hour. 40.
He can’t catch it.
A running figure, outpacing a patrol car, disappears into the Alabama night.
Greenhaw goes public. He has to. He’s the police chief. He has photographs.
And it destroys him.
He loses his job. His wife leaves. His house burns down.
The price of honesty.
The photographs are still there. Polaroids don’t lie about what the camera saw. Something was standing in that road. Something wearing a metallic suit. Something that ran faster than any human.
What was it?
A prankster in a costume? Running faster than a car?
Something else?
Jeff Greenhaw knew what he saw. He paid for knowing.
The photographs remain.
The metallic being of Falkville.
Four Polaroid frames.
One ruined life.
One unanswered question.
Sources
- Wikipedia search: “The Falkville Metallic Being Photographs”
- CIA UFO/UAP Reading Room — Declassified CIA documents on UAP