15-Foot Enormous Pet Snake Shot Dead by Police After Nearly Strangling Pennsylvania Man

A giant snake nearly killed a man in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday after wrapping itself around his neck, police said.

When police arrived, the Upper Macungie resident was already unconscious and in cardiac arrest, authorities said. In an attempt to save the man, officers shot the 15-foot snake in the head and killed it, police said.

It was a pet snake that had grown enormous, police said.

The man, a 28-year-old resident of the Fogelsville neighborhood, was pulled from the snake's grasp after the gunfire and rushed to a nearby hospital.

"When patrol officers arrived on scene, they observed a 28-year-old male who was unresponsive and lying on the floor of the home with the mid portion of a large snake wrapped around the male’s neck," according to a report filed by Upper Macungie police. "Due to the massive size of the reptile (estimated to be 15+ feet), one of the officers was able to shoot the snake in the head without risking further injury to the male. Once the snake was injured from the gunshot, the officers were able to pull the male to safety."

Police did not know what condition the man was in as of 9 p.m.