Officer shoots and kills 18-foot snake wrapped around man’s neck, Pennsylvania cops say

Monday, July 25, update: A man died four days after a snake coiled itself around his neck, according to a Pennsylvania coroner.

The man, identified as 27-year-old Elliott Senseman, died on Sunday, July 24, from a brain injury “due to asphyxiation by constriction,” according to Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio. Senseman had a “complete lack of oxygen to the brain,” the coroner said.

The original story is below.

An 18-foot snake was shot and killed by a Pennsylvania officer after the reptile wrapped itself around a man’s neck, police say.

Police in Upper Macungie Township, about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia, said they were dispatched to a home after receiving a report a man was in cardiac arrest.

Officers found the 27-year-old man unresponsive and lying on the floor when they arrived, with a portion “of a large snake wrapped around the male’s neck,” police said.

The snake was shot in its head by an officer, allowing the man to be pulled to safety, according to a police report.

“It wasn’t like it just died. It started to slither away, luckily away from the officers, away from the direction that they were trying to pull this gentleman,” Lt. Peter Nickischer told WPVI. “They realized it was a matter of life and death with seconds to make that decision. Praise the officers. They did what they had to do. It was a safe shoot.”

The man was taken to a local hospital, where his condition is unknown, according to police.

The snake, which WTXF reported was the man’s pet, was killed, police said. It’s unclear what type of snake it was.

“I’ve been doing this job for 19 years and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this,” Nickischer told WTXF.

This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 10:31 AM with the headline "Officer shoots and kills 18-foot snake wrapped around man’s neck, Pennsylvania cops say."