Reptile & Amphibian Forums

TIMES FREE-PRESS (Chatanooga, Tennessee) 04 February 11 Arrest in snakebite death called part of larger probe (Kate Harrison )
State officials have charged a man they call a "major player in the transportation and importation of poisonous snakes into the state of Tennessee," opening a new chapter in the investigation of an East Ridge man's snakebite death Sunday.
But Chuck Hurd, who was arrested by officers with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, said his Wednesday arrest "has no bearing on Wade Westbrook's death whatsoever."
Hurd, of Gate City, Va., was "found to have transported and housed a large black plastic box containing 12 highly venomous snakes," arrest records show. He is charged with 48 counts — four counts for each snake: possession of Class 1 (dangerous) wildlife, holding such wildlife, possession without documentation and importation without permits, TWRA spokesman Dan Hicks said at a news conference Thursday.
Additional snakes are still being identified, he said.
Along with the live snakes, the TWRA confiscated a freezer full of dead snakes and other animals they say belonged to Hurd.
Hurd, 38, could face a maximum jail time of 11 months and 29 days and a $2,500 fine on each count, Hicks said.
Hicks said Hurd has more charges pending, and that the agency also hasn't ruled out the option of seeking involuntary manslaughter charges in Westbrook's death.
Westbrook died from anaphylactic shock — a severe allergic reaction — after a copperhead bit him Saturday. Police first were told a friend brought the snake to Westbrook to check its gender, but on Thursday Hicks confirmed that the snake belonged to Westbrook.
Hicks would not confirm whether Westbrook obtained the snake from Hurd, but Hurd said the snake did not come from his supply and that he had not spoken with Westbrook for more than a year.
"I usually recommend copperheads for first-time venomous snake owners, but I never recommended that Wade keep them. He didn't have the disposition to keep venomous snakes. ... I knew he was an accident waiting to happen," Hurd said in an interview.
According to Hurd, Westbrook sought him out in 2007 to learn about handling venomous snakes.
Hurd said he was there when Westbrook first was bitten by a snake in Ringgold, Ga., two years ago, and that Westbrook suffered no major complications.
In recent Facebook posts, Hurd has asked for prayers for Westbrook's family and said he's shaken and miserable about what happened.
"I know in my head that I didn't kill Wade, but I feel different in my heart. ... I may not have pulled the trigger, but I handed him a loaded gun ... without me, he would not have had the snake," a recent post states.
Hurd, a graduate of the University of Tennessee-at Chattanooga, said in the interview that the Facebook posts referred to the fact that he initially introduced Westbrook to venomous snakes.
Hicks said Hurd's arrest is expected to be just the tip of a larger investigation into transportation of dangerous reptiles and possible illegal sales. He said the TWRA believes Hurd has made frequent trips to Chattanooga and worked with snake enthusiasts in the area.
Hurd, who works with reptiles at a zoo in Virginia, said he does not sell venomous snakes in Tennessee and only trains people to work with venomous snakes in Virginia, where regulations are less restrictive.
He said he was arrested while visiting friends this week after traveling to Atlanta for a reptile convention over the weekend.
Hurd said he knew it is illegal to keep venomous snakes in Tennessee, but not that it was illegal to transport them through the state.
Hurd was released on his own recognizance and is due in Hamilton County General Sessions Court on Monday.
His Web page is devoted to venomous snakes, detailing how to catch and care for them, complete with offers to sell everything from snakes to venom samples.
Chuck Hurd's Website
http://chuckhurd.bravepages.com
Breeding project updates
Services: Educational displays, lectures and entertainment; snake removal and relocation, birthday parties
Snakes and equipment
Venom samples: rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths
Photo galleries and personal information
Instructional videos: capture, care and feeding, first aid; religious use
Links to herpetological sites
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/feb/04/charles-hurd-arrest-snakebite-death/

WTVF (Nashville Tennessee) 04 February 11 Man Charged In Snake Bite Death Investigation
Chattanooga, Tenn (AP): Wildlife officers investigating a snake bite death have arrested a Virginia man with 12 live poisonous snakes and a cooler loaded with dead snakes in the southeastern Tennessee community where the death occurred.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spokesman Dan Hicks said 38-year-old Samuel Charles Hurd of Gate City, Va., was arrested Thursday and charged with 48 misdemeanor counts that include possessing dangerous wildlife.
Hicks said that unlike Virginia, possessing a poisonous snake in Tennessee is illegal. Hicks said the arrest is part of an ongoing investigation.
Hurd was released on a self-recognizance bond pending a Monday court hearing in Chattanooga. A jail officer said there is no record of a lawyer representing Hurd.
Wade Westbrook of East Bridge died Saturday from a severe allergic reaction after a copperhead bit him.
http://www.newschannel5.com/story/13969697/man-charged-in-snake-bite-death-investigation

Involuntary manslaughter? TN wildlife is insane! They'll never get such a charge prosecuted. Anybody who buys a venomous snake is already aware they are a venomous snake?!? This whole thing is just ridiculous.People are always looking for someone to blame...blame the dumbass who handled the snake if anybody!

More importantly, he died of an allergic reaction, not the actual action of the venom. He could just as easily have died from a bee sting or eating a peanut...
-----
What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

I think it's been fairly well established that Chuck didn't give or sell the snake to the deceased. What is actually happening here is a two-pronged investigation into one incident. As is usually the case, the media is not making a distinction between the two different aspects of the investigation. Chuck was arrested when authorities searched the home of a friend he was staying with. The search was related to the snake-bite death. Chuck was in Tennessee on his way home from the Repticon show in Atlanta, where he had given a few venomous snake presentations. He went to his friends' house in Tennessee so he could attend the funeral of the bite victim. Because he had done the presentations in Atlanta, he had some native venomous snakes with him. When the authorities searched the home of Chuck's friend, they found Chuck's snakes. The charges against Chuck aren't really related to the snake bite death; they stemmed from a general search for information about the bite. The manslaughter charges that are mentioned in the article have nothing to do with Chuck. He has not and will not be charged in connection with the actual bite. It is kind of confusing and Chuck is being punished due to the hysteria around the bite -- something with which he had nothing to do. I am relating this based on information Chuck has posted on his Facebook page. I hope I have accurately related the gist of his posts. If I am incorrect, please, someone correct me.

What I don't understand is why he would post "I know in my head that I didn’t kill Wade, but I feel different in my heart ... without me, he would not have had the snake…" to his facebook page. It sounds outwardly like an admission of guilt and involvement. With him making statements like that, I hope he has a good lawyer that tells him to quit talking, and soon. We have the 5th amendment rights for a reason.

Right on target with your post. Mr. Hurd needs to stop talking, posting and just keep silent. I personally believe he's much more directly implicated than his facebook posts indicate. I'm not aware of much "hysteria" locally regarding this incident. The media contacted some reputable Herpetologists to get opinions about this incident; the TWRA and local law enforcement personnel mostly commented on the illegal aspects of possessing venomous snakes in Tennessee. I actually thought the coverage was quite fair. It's starting to look like the TWRA were already aware of illegal activity by Mr. Hurd; this incident prompted them to act (JMO). That's unfortunate for everyone. A man's dead. Venomous snake bite lead directly to his death. You know his family is going to talk freely to law enforcement. Anyone that may be involved in this individual acquiring the snake is in some serious legal trouble. Society has changed dramaticalliy over the past few decades. Dealing in venomous snakes just ain't worth it, however unfair that might be to our individual freedom. Incidents like this just hasten the demise of legally possessing venomous reptiles anywhere in the country.

Good advice! Shut up! The guy died of anaphylatic shock. Could have died from a bee sting! Could have died from a spider bite, or a wasp, or scorpion. Unfortunately it wasn't.

I'm not trying to take up for Chuck. I have met him one time and exchanged a few emails with him. Like several of you, I have read the stuff on his Facebook page. I come from a family of attorneys and I'm not sure I would have posted all that on there. However, he has and from what I gathered reading the posts, the statement about knowing in his heart that he killed Wade stems from the fact that some time ago (two years is sticking in my mind for some reason), he introduced Wade to the herp hobby. Because Wade learned the hobby from Chuck, he delved deeper and deeper into snake-keeping, which ultimately led him to keeping venomous snakes. I *think* what Chuck is saying is that had he (Chuck) never introduced Wade to snake-keeping, Wade would have never progressed to keeping venomous snakes and therefore wouldn't have been fatally bitten.

I will, however, agree that even if the intent of the statement was innocuous, it probably wasn't a good thing to post. There are people on the board who know more about this than I do; maybe someone with more knowledge of the situation will chime in.

What interests me more than anything is the way the media has reported this story. I am in the journalism business myself and I feel as though the media has acted irresponsibly in the way the story has been covered.

i rarely find the need to post on the craziness of the world, especially anyone involved in government or local law enforcement(it is a given to be prone to highly il-logical behaviors), but this is absolutely insane, he was a 26 year old MAN, an adult, nobody held a gun to his head, he made the choice to fool with the snake, just as anyone including myself make the same choice whenever we willingly choose to handle or interact with a venomous creature. Simply as that, now they got nothing better to do, because that can't get money from the dead guy, now they are gonna go after the "EVIL Boogeymen" that have anything to do with venomous. And if you think it doesn't have anything to do with money, i feel sorry for anyone who is deluded. Laws and law enforcement are not there to stop crime, they are there to keep it going just enough to make money and keep their jobs. That is what is really sad about the Wildlife officials, they are usually more bored and prone to being outlandish even more than most other forms of law enforcement. Hope people can make some sense of my ramblings, thanks for reading.

PS- I recommend everyone in TN with hots, just keep ya head down until the bee nest settle once again.

I DO NOT MESS WITH VENOMOUS REPTILES ,BUT THIS IS JUST MY THOUGHTS... (People tend to fear what they don't understand)