This story was updated on March 5 with an update from the U.S. Postal Service.

At 54th Street and Logan Avenue sits a memorial for a neighborhood turkey that “held court” at intersections during afternoon rush hour. If you traveled through the Kenny and Armatage neighborhoods, you couldn’t miss him. He had many names: Gregory Peck, Gregg, Rupert, Herbert, Kennethy, Tom, James, Mr. Turkey, and more that were called out through the blocks he roamed.

The beloved turkey tragically died on Feb. 24 after allegedly being run over by a U.S. Postal Service worker at the 56th Street and James Avenue intersection. This was the second Saturday incident during which a Kenny resident witnessed a postal worker allegedly act violent towards the turkey. On Feb. 17, another Kenny resident saw a postal worker attack the neighborhood turkey. These accounts were shared on both Facebook and Nextdoor.

“He was just walking down the stairs, picked [the shovel] up, and then just jammed him in the chest as hard as he could,” a Kenny resident said of the Feb. 17 incident over the phone with Southwest Voices. The resident did not see the moments before the postal worker attacked the turkey.

[Editor’s note: The witness of the attack wishes to remain anonymous because the situation is based in their neighborhood and impacts mail delivery. All remaining neighbor sources will be referred to by their first names for similar protection requests.]

The U.S. Postal Service is not commenting on the situation at this time.

“We’re still looking into the matter, and I’ll respond to your inquiry afterwards,” U.S. Postal Service Strategic Communications specialist Desai Abdul-Razzaaq said on March 4. "The safety of our employees is a top priority. We are treating this incident like any other animal attack, and it is still under investigation," Abdul-Razzaaq emailed Southwest Voices on March 5.

Because the Kenny resident did not see what led to the U.S. postal worker hitting the turkey with a shovel, no one but the postal worker knows what the turkey's behavior was like prior to the shovel attack. A wild turkey attacked a mail carrier last summer in Richfield, so mail carrier may have cause for concern. But residents familiar with the neighborhood turkey said he had been in the area for the past nine months and they knew his behavior well.

“I never knew him to attack anybody,” Kenny resident Rebecca said. “He liked vans and tires. I saw him pecking at tires.”

Another neighbor described the turkey as “slow moving, kind of funny, and cute.”

Perhaps the only people who could have reason for frustration with the neighborhood turkey were those who had time constrictions on their day.

“I have seen Amazon drivers getting frustrated with him,” said Josh, a Lynnhurst resident who interacted with the turkey often. You see, the turkey loved to hang out at intersections and play around with drivers.

“He held court there. He would get in front of the car,” Josh explained. “You couldn't do anything. And then you would get out. And then he'd run away. And then you go back to your car, he'd run right back. If you weren't in a rush, it was kind of hilarious. He was messing with you.” Josh told Southwest Voices he did not have any information about the postal worker interactions with the turkey.

The Kenny/Armatage neighborhood turkey standing in the middle of an intersection. Photo courtesy of Josh

Residents said they were uneasy about the way the turkey died because of how he commanded the road.

“We would see him kind of sauntering down the street and then just standing in the middle of the road and demanding that people go around him,” Rebecca said. “I think he was teaching us something about ourselves.”

As for the neighborhood turkey possibly darting into the road?

“The animal never darted,” Josh said. “It was the opposite of that. I mean, he was slow-moving. And I think that's what some people got impatient with.”

Without word from the U.S. Postal Service, it is not known whether the same postal worker was involved with both the shovel attack on Feb. 17 and the fatal post office van collision on Feb. 24. It is also not known whether the postal worker is still working at the Diamond Lake post office. A Kenny resident said they have not seen the postal worker who attacked the turkey with a shovel delivering mail in the area.

Kenny and Armatage residents have already contacted the Diamond Lake post office and Minneapolis Animal Care and Control about the turkey’s untimely death. If you were a witness to the turkey being physically abused or run over, call or text Minneapolis Animal Control Officer Anderson at 651-363-4586.