EUGENE -- A Eugene police officer can now add snake wrestler to his list of skills after an attack on a pet store worker Thursday.

Police said they were called to the pet store on Elmira around 3:30 p.m. on a report that a 12-foot Burmese Python had latched onto the woman and wrapped itself around her.

Fire and rescue crews found her on the ground and said the snake was about to wrap itself around her neck, putting her in what they said was “grave” danger as it coiled tighter.

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Police Sergeant Ryan Nelson was about to use his knife to get the snake free, but the victim pleaded for the snake’s life.

Nelson and another firefighter were finally able to pry the snake’s mouth open and uncoil it after a struggle, freeing the woman.

But after Nelson got the snake into its cage, the huge reptile escaped and tried to attack Nelson, police said. He grabbed the snake behind the head and was able to wrestle it back into a bigger cage. The python also tried to get in one last jab, but ran into the glass while trying to lunge at the officer.

The snake lost a couple of teeth in the ordeal, but no one suffered any serious injuries.

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