Pennsylvania owner of 15-foot pet snake shot dead by cops dies after he was constricted by it
Update: Elliot Senseman has been identified as the man who was killed by his pet snake. The boa constrictor had to be shot through the head by the cops in order to free him from the snake's grasp. However, by then it was too late.
Senseman was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Allentown, where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, July 24. The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said the cause of death was anoxic brain injury due to asphyxiation by constriction.
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Officers in Pennsylvania shot and killed a pet snake after they say it wrapped itself around a man's neck on Wednesday, July 20, afternoon. Police from the Upper Macungie Township Police Department were called to a home on the 1400 block of Church Street for reports of a man in cardiac arrest. When officers arrived, they found a 28-year-old man lying on the floor with the mid-section of a snake wrapped around his neck, according to police.
Responders could scarcely believe what they saw, according to Upper Macungie Township lieutenant Peter Nickischer. He said, "I heard part of that dispatch go out, and I had actually reached out to the chief "and said "What was that dispatch?" According to 6ABC, he said "I think one of the officers described it as a scene from a horror movie and that's probably the most appropriate way to describe it".
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At first cops tried to cut the 15-foot snake off the man's neck with a knife. But struggling to do so and running out of time an officer stepped back and shot it through the head. The lieutenant also added "Quite literally, the officer looked into the room and the snake was looking up at him. I mean, it was a face-to-face. The officer just did what he had to do. It was a very dire situation for this person. They had to be very careful as far as protecting themselves. Getting too close, you know, trying to go hands-on with this reptile, was not a smart decision".
He explained that the snake's midriff was coiled tightly around the man's throat. But its head was just far enough away that it could be shot without threat to the owner. After the police shot the snake, it slithered away from the owner and died a few seconds later. The police dragged the snake away from the man and paramedics began conducting CPR. It is unclear why the 15-foot reptile turned on him.
Lt Nickischer added, "At that point the snake started to slither away but, as you can imagine, it's a very large snake, so it's still spread out into the hallway of this home." The man is now recovering in hospital, though his current condition is unknown. The man is apparently a snake lover as he also owns numerous other snakes, neighbors confirmed. One was filmed slithering around by an upstairs window.