Turkey trauma: Rhode Island town held hostage by menacing bird (VIDEO)

A rogue turkey has been terrorising the people of Johnston, Rhode Island for six months, and not even Thanksgiving could slow it down.

The bird rocked into the town with two other feathered companions back in May, but it’s the only one that has so far managed to avoid capture.

“This guy, he’s like Al Capone and John Dillinger,” Johnston’s Mayor Joseph Polisena told the Guardian. “He keeps getting away.”

At first, Johnston residents were amused by their new feathered neighbors, but things started to take a turn for the worse after the trio began loitering around outside the town hall, intimidating people trying to get inside.

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The last standing turkey continues to rule the area and evade capture, causing regular traffic jams when it struts onto the street. It has even been accused of trapping the mayor’s assistant in her car.

The bird appears to have image problems, as it reportedly attacks its own reflection when it spots it in car windows.

It has been chased by police, and has itself chased firemen. Apparently, the crafty bird has even learned to recognise the animal control van that has been hot on his tail. The cops are now turning to undercover vehicles to pursue the turkey and have a net launcher on standby.

Not everyone fears the turkey, though, as it managed to get 69 votes in the November mayoral elections. It even has its own sassy Facebook page.

It isn’t clear why the bird has chosen to nest in the town, but Polisena thinks it has something to do with people feeding it food like muffins and fries. Now that it has made it through Thanksgiving without being caught, it looks as though the turkey is going to continue ruffling feathers around Johnston.

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