5-foot snake is weapon of choice for accused gas station robber, Tennessee cops say

A man accused of trying to rob a gas station brought a 5-foot snake along for the ride, Tennessee authorities said.

The 26-year-old man is now charged.

At around 2 a.m. on April 15, a man walked into a Shell station, made a purchase and left, the Memphis Police Department said in an arrest affidavit.

About 30 minutes later, the same man came back into the store, police said. He’s accused of walking up to the check-out counter and telling the cashier to give him money from the register, the cashier told police.

Police said he was “implying a weapon” to the cashier by reaching into his clothes.

The cashier refused to give him money, and the man left again, police said.

About 35 minutes after that, the man came in a third time “armed with a live, 5-foot snake wrapped around his neck,” police said.

He’s accused of yelling at the cashier for the money.

He kept his hand inside a green backpack, which led the cashier to believe he was armed, police said. The cashier called 911 to report an attempted robbery and pulled out his own gun to protect himself, according to police.

When officers arrived a few minutes later, they said they found the accused robber at the counter with a railroad spike and a rock in his backpack.

The snake was turned over to animal control. Police could not tell McClatchy News what kind of snake it was.

The man was booked in Shelby County jail April 15 and charged with two counts of attempted aggravated robbery. His attorney information is not listed in case records.

This story was originally published April 16, 2024 at 9:16 AM with the headline "5-foot snake is weapon of choice for accused gas station robber, Tennessee cops say."