Pennsylvania police shoot and kill 15-foot-long pet snake that was strangling man's neck

Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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Pennsylvania police say they shot a "very large snake" to save a man that was being strangled by the reptile.

Officers with the Upper Macungie Township Police Department responded to a home in Fogelsville, about 45 miles north of Philadelphia, on Wednesday afternoon for a man in cardiac arrest, according to a news release from the department. Lt. Peter Nickischer told local news station WFMZ a family member in the home pointed officers to a 28-year-old male lying on the floor, unresponsive, with the snake wrapped around his neck.

"The officers realized right away the seriousness of the incident, but also they had to be very careful as far as protecting themselves," Nickischer said. "Trying to go hands-on with this reptile was not a smart decision because the snake was so large."

Police said the snake's head was away from the man's body. One of the officers "was face-to-face with this snake" and shot it in the head. Nickischer added the snake didn't die immediately, but it started to slither away, letting go of the man and allowing officers to pull him away.

Officials confirmed the snake was a pet.

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Emergency medical care was provided to the male, whose name was not released, and he was sent to a local hospital for further treatment. Police said the current condition of the man is unknown.

The snake, which was estimated to be at least 15 feet long, was killed. The type of snake wasn't known.

"They realized it was a matter of life and death with seconds to make that decision," Nickischer said. "It was a safe shot."

Snake attacks by strangulation are rare in the United States, with most attacks coming from bites from venomous snakes. In 2019, an Indiana woman was killed after she was strangled by an 8-foot reticulated python.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pennsylvania police shoot, kill long snake that was strangling man