The Town of Pembroke Park Commission granted a ceremonial pardon to Tom the turkey on Nov. 24, allowing the bird to live at a local petting zoo after a brief hearing in which officials recounted an alleged Nov. 20 incident.

At the short proceeding, Acting Clerk Commissioner Eric Morissette, who the meeting transcript identifies as presiding, asked the chief whether, “at about 5:00 a.m. on the date of 11/20/2024, Officer McFeather identified Tom the turkey driving a John Deere tractor at 120 miles an hour on Gravy Boulevard.” The chief replied, “That's correct, sir.”

The hearing was presented as a light‑hearted, ceremonial portion of the commission meeting tied to Thanksgiving. Vice Mayor Musfica Kashem was listed in the record as serving as Tom’s defender during the proceeding, and children and local residents had been invited to the turkey‑pardoning event.

After the chief's confirmation, Morissette appealed to the spirit of the holiday and read a proclamation pardoning the bird. “I hereby, by the power vested in me, do hereby proclaim that Tom the turkey is pardoned and set free for all the turkeys,” he said. The transcript records the commission’s decision to grant the pardon, and the narrator closed by saying Tom will be allowed to live at a local petting zoo if he “can keep his beak clean.”

The item on the agenda was ceremonial; no ordinance, resolution number, formal vote tally, or follow‑up administrative action was recorded in the transcript. The commission’s proclamation was presented and entered during the meeting on Nov. 24.

The commission adjourned the ceremonial item after the proclamation. Happy Thanksgiving was offered to attendees as the event closed.