Cops shoot dead ‘thick’ 15ft snake wrapped around unresponsive man’s neck

A 15ft snake had to be shot in the head by police when it was found to be wrapped around the neck of an unresponsive man.

Police in rural Pennsylvania were called to a home in Fogelsville, Upper Macungie Township, where a 28-year-old man was reported to have gone into cardiac arrest during the attack on Wednesday afternoon.

Officers arrived at around 2pm to find the huge reptile latched onto the neck of its owner, who was in a "very serious" condition, and say they were forced to act quickly.

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“It’s one of those situations where the officers don’t have the time, the liberty to ask a lot of questions,” Upper Macungie Township Police lieutenant Peter Nickischer told The Independent.

“They have to act right away and then it’s a matter of, OK, let’s get this person into the ambulance as soon as possible," Lt Nickischer added.

Police say that the snake was long enough that its head was far enough away from the man’s body for officers to safely take a shot.

Officers then dragged the unresponsive man to a waiting EMS crew and several members of the local fire department, who began treating him.

The victim, whose identity has not been released, is in a local hospital getting treatment.

The police lieutenant said he'd seen "nothing like this" in his 19 years doing police work, and that the snake was “very long, very thick”.

Police also discovered multiple snake enclosures in the individual’s home.

“It was an accident really,” Lt Nickischer said. “It’s just about that person hopefully making a full recovery in the hospital.”

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