Man accused of trying to use rattlesnake as deadly weapon

An Arizona man allegedly tried to kill another man with a rattlesnake, but the snake would not bite. Nathaniel Buck Harrison, 38, of Oracle, entered a person's home on July 23 and accused a man of being a "rat" and for sending his friend to prison, according to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office. He then allegedly hit the 53-year-old victim over the head with a board, breaking it in two pieces, and said he was going to kill him.



Sheriff's officials said that Harrison handled the snake with his bare hands trying to push the snake towards the man. When the snake wouldn't bite, PCSO says, Harrison forced the victim to the ground and then used a handgun to fire a bullet into a speaker box close to the victim's foot. By this time, 911 had been called and deputies were on their way. The sirens spooked Harrison who allegedly hid the handgun within a couch located in the kitchen, said PCSO.



Harrison refused to come out of the home at first, but was eventually taken into custody. He was booked into jail under suspicion of endangerment, aggravated assault, criminal trespassing, disorderly conduct with a weapon, possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony offence, unlawful discharge of a firearm and threatening and intimidating. PCSO says Harrison has an "extensive criminal history" and is being held on $50,000 bond.


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Neighbours say Harrison had been in and out of the mobile home park often. Manager Suzie Riddell said that several months ago he tried to throw a hornet's nest inside another resident's home. Riddell said she believes Harrison has mental problems. "I hope they get him help this time," she said. "Just throwing him in jail isn't going to help." "This is the first case I have heard where a victim attempted to use a venomous snake to kill or injure his victim," said Sheriff Paul Babeu. The snake was caught by deputies and released into the wild.