Police say that Ryan Felton Sauter, 39, was engaged in “rattlesnake revenge” when he took a rattlesnake, bit off its rattle, and then threw it into the RV of his neighbor Keith Monroe with whom he had had an argument. The now silent (and irate) snake did not bite his rival but it did land Sauter in jail with some interesting charges.
Texas police believe that Sauter bit off the tail to create a silent weapon. and charged him with deadly conduct and criminal trespass of a habitation.
Monroe said that he spotted Sauter leaving his RV and demanded to know what he was doing inside. He told police that Sauter responded “You’ll see why.” He then found the snake and killed it with a machete.
The deadly conduct charge is primarily used for firearm violations if section a is a more general basis for the third degree felony charge:
(a) A person commits an offense if he recklessly engages in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury.
(b) A person commits an offense if he knowingly discharges a firearm at or in the direction of: (1) one or more individuals; or (2) a habitation, building, or vehicle and is reckless as to whether the habitation, building, or vehicle is occupied.
(c) Recklessness and danger are presumed if the actor knowingly pointed a firearm at or in the direction of another whether or not the actor believed the firearm to be loaded.
(d) For purposes of this section, “building,” “habitation,” and “vehicle” have the meanings assigned those terms by Section 30.01 .
(e) An offense under Subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor. An offense under Subsection (b) is a felony of the third degree.
Dang! Sounds like it should have been in an episode of ‘Justified,’ like something Boyd would assign to an enforcer. Good luck to the DA.
And by the way, while there is no machete in our household, I do not think it’s strange to have one. Grass, brush, and small dangerous creatures abound in that part of the state.
The guy was tired of dealing with the neighbors trash and junk making the place look bad
There are so many fascinating elements to this story.
First, why in the world would he use his teeth to bite off a rattle? I mean, what’s he doing with the other end of the snake during this procedure? Holding it in his hands??? Because a venomous snake clamp can be a bit tricky and would need your full attention.
What size snake was it? The rattlers out here are quite big, including the rattle portion. You’d think he would gag on the rattle itself, if not the actual snake blood.
It was interesting that his intended victim had a machete with which to dispatch the snake. That must have left a heck of a mark on his flooring. Quick thinking, however.
This was attempted murder. He removed the snake’s warning system to try to ensure his neighbor was bitten. Even though hospitals carry anti-venom, it is still a serious injury that can be life threatening, and severely impact health, sometimes permanently.
Sauter wasn’t exactly a criminal mastermind, either, leaving his own bite mark on the snake.
Sounds like the snake had a very trying time.
the charges will be dropped. a rattle can’t bite. so it’s not dangerous. but it’s offensive and they should have charged him with misdemeanor tresspass. stupid prosecutors, stupid perp
He didn’t throw the rattle into the RV; he threw the rattlesnake inside after he’d removed the rattle.
Is this a clear example of “Texas justice”?
Reblogged this on Matthews' Blog.
RV’s clearly need better locks.