Police UFO

 Date:  03-Sep-87 23:11 MST

Subj:  APne 09/04 0034  Stray Balloon LJ

   LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- A Lincoln police officer saw an unidentified flying

object descending on Union College, but his other-worldly experience turned out

to be a blimp gone astray. 

   The officer was on patrol early Thursday when he saw an object descending

over the college campus, said Lt. Jon Briggs. It turned out to be a large helium

balloon in the shape of a blimp that had come unhitched from a new Runza Drive

Inn, Briggs said. 

   The officer tried to grab the blimp but was nearly pulled into the air by it,

Briggs said. In the end, it took three officers to bring the balloon under

control, he said. 

   The blimp, which Runza store manager Karolyn Johnston said appears to have

been released deliberately, was an advertisement for the new store, which opened

Sunday. 

   Johnston said police told her citizens were calling them and reporting a UFO

sailing over Lincoln. 

   

Copyright 1987 by the Associated Press.  All rights reserved.