WATCH: Mental scenes as Brazilian referee pulls gun on a player who attacked him

Not even Paolo di Canio would mess with this official.

An amateur football match in Brazil descended into chaos at the weekend when a referee reacted to being kicked by a player with a literally unbelievable piece of self-defence.

Gabriel Murta was in charge of the game between Brumadinho and Amantes da Bola when one of the away team's players lashed out at him.

Nobody could have predicted what would happen next as Murta, a policeman, ran to the dressing room to fetch his firearm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=41&v=aV3gwkaMqIU

As Murta returned and began waving his pistol around, one of his linesmen was able to talk some sense into the gun-toting referee and nobody was injured in the incident.

It will come as no surprise to learn that Murta has since been sent for a psychological evaluation and is expected to be handed either a lengthy suspension or permanent ban.

Brazil, eh?