It was all in a day’s work for Deputy Willie Carson when he found himself being set upon by a protective turkey while he was out on traffic duty. The funny incident, which took place in St. Johns County, Florida, and made local news, saw the deputy being approached by the large bird.
Quacking, kicking his legs, and using his cap in his attempts to shoo off the interloper, Deputy Carson can be heard comically referring to the distinctive turkey as a chicken.
“Quack, quack, quack ... Somebody better come get their chicken,” the law enforcement officer is heard saying in the video.
When contacted by dispatch, the deputy says, “I’m getting attacked by a chicken right now!”
Luckily, he took it all in good humor.
Deputy Carlson told The Epoch Times: “At no point did I realize it was going to gain attention or become viral. I just thought it was super funny that this happened because not often do you get attacked by a turkey in the middle of a roadway.”
The officer, who conducts 20 to 30 traffic stops on any one day in his role at St. Johns County Sherriff’s Office, says it was sometime mid-afternoon of Feb. 29. He'd spotted a woman driving at high speed in the Vermont Heights neighborhood and went on to speak to her. He had just finished taking her details, conducting checks, and writing a ticket when the big bird landed on the scene, accompanied by several actual chickens.
“I quickly realized this turkey meant business,” the deputy said. “When he initially came up to me, I thought he was just going to keep walking. When he tried to attack me, I assumed it was because he was being protective over all the chickens that were with him.”
After a standoff between man and bird that lasted several minutes, the turkey gave up and waddled off with his feathered posse.
An avid hunter, Deputy Carlson also likes to get out and about on his bicycle. When he’s riding, he is “always running into ducks.”
Watch the funny video:
The incident and the ensuing social media storm—the video amassed over 5 million views—were handled all in good spirits, says Deputy Carlson, who has been with the Sherriff’s Office for 11 years. He wanted to join the police force ever since he was a child when his father was in law enforcement.
The turkey and its friends appeared to have wandered from a nearby yard, where the homeowner keeps his birds.
“If I encounter another turkey again, I’ll be sure not to quack at it,” Deputy Carlson said.
