A group of turkeys have got their Thanksgiving revenge on a Florida deputy who was caught on camera being attacked by an ‘irritated’ flock.
Deputy Willie Carson was in the middle of mitigating a traffic stop in the Vermont Heights community, 40 miles south of Jacksonville, when a flock of turkeys zeroed in on the cop.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office believed the fowls were offended by the deputy as he mistook the turkey for a chicken.
A dash camera on the deputy’s police cruiser showed the turkey, along with a flock of nearly ten other farmyard fowl, crowding around the deputy.
‘I’m getting attacked by a chicken right now,’ the deputy said into his radio, per the video. ‘I can’t believe this is happening. Of all the places you could come.’
At one point, the deputy was yelling ‘quack, quack, quack,’ in an effort to keep the turkeys at bay.
The turkey is shown sneaking up behind the deputy, spreading its wings in a menacing fashion.
In an effort to defend himself, the deputy kicked his leg out and and swung his baseball cap around to try to create space between him and the turkey.
None of his physical maneuvers made contact with the turkey.
While the turkey backed away, it still lingered, waiting for the deputy to drop his defenses.
‘After a few minutes and a couple of interruptions, he was able to complete the traffic stop and get into his car safely,’ the sheriff’s office said.
The Facebook video has been viewed more than 28,000 times as of March 14 and has garnered some laughs from viewers.
‘That moment when gang activity is out of control,’ a user commented on the post.
‘Will the turkey be charged with assault on a police officer?’ said another.
‘If you think turkeys are bad, watch out for geese!’ chimed a third.
Needless to say, the deputy ruffled some feathers.
The eastern wild turkey and the Osceola, or Florida, wild turkey are the two subspecies of turkey found in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The white barring on its wing feathers is the most distinguishing feature that sets the Florida wild turkey apart from the closely related eastern subspecies.
This article by Alexa Cimino was first published by The Daily Mail on 13 March 2024. Lead Image: Deputy Willie Carson was in the middle of mitigating a traffic stop when a flock of turkeys attacked the cop.
What you can do
Help to save wildlife by donating as little as $1 – It only takes a minute.
Leave a Reply