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More than 30 people were seen screaming, pushing and stepping on each other in an attempt to flee a McDonald’s in the Marlborough Mall Walmart Wednesday night, believing a man brandishing what turned out to be a paintball gun actually had a rifle.

Calgary police officers were at the mall on an unrelated call when they saw the commotion just after 6 p.m. A witness told officers a man was holding what looked like a gun.

Four officers intervened and saw a man “pinning another man against a wall in an attempt to wrestle the gun away from him.”

Police intervened at the Marlborough Mall Walmart McDonald\’s Aug. 16 after a man appeared to be brandishing a gun. Provided by John Callum

“The Good Samaritan, a 28-year-old man, had been eating in the restaurant when he witnessed the man reach into a bag and remove a gun that he believed might be an AR-15 rifle,” police said in a Thursday news release.

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“The actions of the Good Samaritan in this incident are nothing short of heroic,” Acting Insp. Rod Harbidge said.

“While we don’t encourage people to put themselves in harm’s way, there is no doubt that had this been a real firearm, he would have saved countless lives. This is yet another example of why we are proud to serve Calgarians.” Tweet This

The suspect was taken into custody and a search garnered a small amount of crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana in his possession, police said.

“Although designed to look real, the gun was later determined to be a paintball gun,” CPS said. “Police do not yet know what prompted the man to brandish the gun.”

Duran Ross Buffalo, 32, has been charged with drug possession, possession of an imitation weapon for a dangerous purpose, carrying a concealed weapon and use of an imitation firearm during commission of an offence, and mischief.

Police say the man has no fixed address.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

The investigation continues.