PALMER - A 14-foot Burmese python that turned on its owner in the midst of last weekend's flooding, was shot to death by police who at one point were worried that their pistols might not be strong enough for the job.
The 180-pound snake, named Jesus, was killed by a shotgun blast from police after it attacked its owner, 22-year-old Gary R. Velthouse, biting his left wrist and coiling its body around his arm.
"Its mouth was around my whole hand ... I figured I could get him off, but I couldn't," Velthouse said yesterday.
Detective Sgt. Scott E. Haley, who along with Sgt. Rodney A. North and Sgt. Christopher J. Burns responded Saturday afternoon to the basement of 50 Cleveland St., said they threw a blanket over the snake, which has a 14-foot striking distance and told everyone to evacuate.
"It was so big and strong, we were concerned about shooting it with a pistol," Haley said.
Haley held a flashlight, while North shot the snake in the head with a shotgun.
Prior to calling police, Velthouse's friend tried prying the snake's mouth off Velthouse's wrist with a screwdriver. Stabbing the snake with a machete finally made it release him.
"The snake was very agitated. It was angry and you couldn't get too close to it," said Haley. "We called the MSPCA and explained the situation and we came to the conclusion that the snake had to be disposed of."
He said the call came in the midst of a busy weekend of responding to flood related emergencies.
"This is another example of an animal that shouldn't have been a pet. It turned and hurt somebody," Haley said.
Velthouse, who was taken to Springfield's Baystate Medical Center, thinks the water leaking into the basement was causing the snake's heating pad to short-circuit, giving it electric shocks. Velthouse said he had the python for three years, and kept it in a large cage. Velthouse, who has missed three days of work, said his hand is still swollen.
"He was always friendly. This is the only time it ever happened, and just because it was in pain," Velthouse said.
Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk said the Environmental Police have been contacted, to make sure the pet was legal.
While Burmese pythons can be kept as pets because they are generally docile, reticulated pythons cannot. The two snakes look similar, but the reticulated is aggressive, said Thomas W. French, assistant director of the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
French said Jesus was probably a female, because of its large size. French said it's possible that the python smelled food on Velthouse, causing it to strike.
"That's an animal as big as ones that have killed people. It is usually a reasonably safe pet, but they are potentially dangerous when they get to this size. It's a painful bite," he said.
The incident hasn't turned Velthouse off snakes. He still has a red-tailed boa.
"It's a lot smaller. It's not a problem," Velthouse said.
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