robber turns out to be a wild turkey

by Stephanie Sobotka | May 27, 2008 at 07:17 pm | 1049 views | 19 comments

A Kalamazoo police officer was investigating a break-in at a local business, but instead of finding a robber she discovered a turkey. The turkey had flown through the window and unfortunately was discovered dead lying on a table inside.

A police officer investigating an apparent break-in at a Kalamazoo business instead nabbed a dead 10-pound turkey, police said.

Officer Paula Hensell was conducting checks on local businesses Sunday morning when she noticed that a business's front window had been shattered, the police department said in a statement.

Hensell entered the store assuming a burglar was still inside, but instead found a wild turkey lying dead on a table.

Police said the turkey apparently died after flying through the window.

This isn’t the first time a turkey has made the news after flying through a window.
Last Tuesday a turkey crashed through a Lubbock County Courthouse, and luckily wasn’t injured.

A wild turkey crashed through a window in the Lubbock County Courthouse on Monday, prompting thoughts of a courthouse shooting and leaving a cartoon-like hole in the glass.

"It was like a boom and the glass shattered," said Baldemar Hernandez, who was attending a child-support hearing on the building's fourth floor when the bird made its unwelcome appearance. "I thought, Somebody's shooting at us.' "
The hole in the window looked like something from a Looney Toon - a turkey-shaped hole in the glass.

In Topeka a turkey crashed through a van a couple weeks ago injuring a man in the passenger seat.

A Topeka man was injured when a turkey crashed through the front passenger-side window of the van he was riding in.

The Kansas Highway Patrol said Gary D. Johnson, 60, was riding down Interstate 70 shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday when the turkey flew up out of the ditch and hit him about 10 miles west of Topeka in Wabaunsee County.
Johnson was taken to a Topeka hospital. The driver of the 2004 Ford van, Thomas J. Sweeney, 64, of Overland Park, wasn't injured.

This past April a turkey crashed through a home in Prince Edward Island and again wasn’t injured.

Talk about an unusual intruder.
While not subject to criminal charges or a place in the Champion's police blotter, a turkey vulture caused quite a stir in a Maplewood Crescent home last week -- with one of Milton's most bizarre break-ins ever.

Both returning from their respective jobs at about 8:30 p.m., Glen Parker and 18-year-old son Sean met trusty bulldog Sasha in the front entrance -- and were immediately curious when she bolted upstairs rather than waiting for a usual warm greeting.

"I went upstairs and there was glass everywhere and a noise coming from the spare bedroom. At first I shut the door and when we looked again there was this big bird behind our TV cabinet," recalled Glen.

Turns out the bird of prey had somehow broken through the double-pane window and -- likely stunned from the violent entry and no doubt frightened by Sasha -- taken refuge behind the entertainment unit.

"There was glass in the hallway and even a few shards in the living room. It must have been like an explosion when he came through," said wife Joanne, who came home from work a short time later. "Even more strange was that there was no blood and only a few feathers lying around."

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BigT

at 20:28 on May 27th, 2008

good stuff:

When I saw "Wild Turkey" in the headlines I thought you were talking about the drink. Hey, maybe those marauding turkeys were drinking some Wild Turkey.

PEP

at 01:30 on May 28th, 2008

good stuff:

Steph02, I like this story. It's good stuff. Someone most likely had a turkey dinner. Nice work in pulling together related articles. :)

nukemdomis

at 07:48 on May 28th, 2008

good stuff:

Steph02,

I also like the related stories.

I like this story. It's good stuff.

Nate Stuart

at 08:51 on May 28th, 2008

Driving through downtown Delray Beach, Fl, this guy was strutting through front yards and down the sidewalk. I had to hang up the phone and follow him for a block or two to get a clear picture.

Nate Stuart has contributed a photo to this story.

steveleach

at 09:26 on May 28th, 2008

Thanks for using my photos for your story

steveleach has contributed a photo to this story.

suedeane

at 09:40 on May 28th, 2008

Male and female wild turkeys in Novato, California. The male is in full courting plumage.

suedeane has contributed a photo to this story.

Doug Greenberg

at 09:59 on May 28th, 2008

This is the rear end of a turkey by the side of the road in the Berkeley hills in California. I was asked to allow the attributed use of this photo in a news story. It's ok with me.

Doug Greenberg has contributed a photo to this story.

darwinsbulldog

at 10:30 on May 28th, 2008

Although these turkeys did not fly through any windows, they were the first wild turkeys I had seen up close - they were on a lekking ground competing for females...

darwinsbulldog has contributed a photo to this story.

gbridgman

at 10:40 on May 28th, 2008

These shots were taken out my office window with a 250mm telephoto. The birds are very skittish and if I tried to photograph them from outside, they'd simply run away. This time of year, the guys travel in packs and the hens are usually nesting.

gbridgman has contributed a photo to this story.

jlv3

at 11:41 on May 28th, 2008

jlv3 has contributed a photo to this story.

jlv3

at 11:45 on May 28th, 2008

This bird was alone in the middle of a country road in the foothills of Colorado. I could have grabbed him that's how close he let me get. I tried to move him off of the road but he insisted on grooming himself on the center line of a sharp curve.

rontaube

at 11:45 on May 28th, 2008

I found these turkeys in Coon Rapids Mn just south of the dam over the Mississippi River. A woman who walked by while I was taking the pictures told me that she lived nearby and they came in her yard from time to time.

rontaube has contributed a photo to this story.

Galactic Dreams

at 13:03 on May 28th, 2008

I was just walking along, minding my own business when suddenly this wild turkey and her brood walked by. I got to snap a few quick shots before she realized I was there, then she promptly left.

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BDarnall

at 19:19 on May 28th, 2008

This picture was taken in the Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado.
April, 2008

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rcksmll

at 22:18 on May 28th, 2008

I'm just out taking photos alot, and this is one of the best times of year to get turkey pics because spring is breeding season. I would bet this could have something to do with the turkey flying thru the window - - seeing it's reflection and thinking it was another turkey....

rcksmll has contributed a photo to this story.

viaKendra

at 09:03 on May 29th, 2008

This group of about a dozen turkeys was hanging out near Nauset Light at the Cape Cod National Seashore. When it was time to cross the road, one big turkey puffed himself up and posted duty as crossing guard, holding my car and two others at bay while the rest of the flock sauntered across the road.

viaKendra has contributed a photo to this story.

Andi Lawson

at 15:28 on May 29th, 2008

Not everyday do you walk by a bush and see it shaking and up pops this head....Two lovely birds were nesting in a prickly grouping of pine bush and seem to be having the time of their lives. The bush quieted and up popped this head. Wonder what was happening????LOL

Andi Lawson has contributed a photo to this story.

denmandawg

at 23:00 on May 29th, 2008

The male is doing the dance as he does every spring morning on the farm!

denmandawg has contributed a photo to this story.

jovae2k

at 16:54 on June 9th, 2008

Turkeys will gobble at you if you make gobbling noises to them in a flock if it's around their breeding season. It's fun! This is one of the toms I had found amongst a flock of 10 or so.

jovae2k has contributed a photo to this story.