A policeman delivered the fright of a lifetime to a chainsaw-wielding haunted house actor, pulling a gun on him at the end of his act.

Sgt Eric Janik, 37, was charged with assault and reckless endangerment for pointing his service handgun at Mike Morrison, who was dressed as Leatherface, the killer from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Baltimore County police said.

Mr Morrison followed Sgt Janik and several other people up a staircase at the end of the haunted house tour in a bid to get "one last scream" out of them, police said.

When the group went into a car park, Sgt Janik pulled his gun and pointed it at Mr Morrison from less than 10 feet away, according to police and Mr Morrison, who said he dropped the chainsaw, put his hands up and backed away. The saw had no chain.

Only then did Sgt Janik identify himself as a police officer, said Mr Morrison, who retreated into the building.

"I started shaking pretty bad," he said.

Another employee of the House of Screams called police.

According to charging documents, Sgt Janik smelled of alcohol and told police two different stories. First, he denied drawing the gun, but later he said he pointed it at the ground.

Mr Morrison and two other witnesses told police that Janik pointed the gun at Mr Morrison's chest.

A security guard had been following Sgt Janik's group, which included his nine-year-old daughter, through the haunted house because Sgt Janik appeared to be drunk when he arrived, House of Screams owner Tony Sapanero said.

Mr Morrison said Sgt Janik's daughter appeared to be disturbed by his act, in which he pretends to cut one woman in half and disembowel another with the chainsaw.

Sgt Janik was suspended after police chiefs learned of the incident and, city police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.

City police officers were required to carry their service weapons while off duty within city limits and could carry them at their own discretion outside the city, Mr Guglielmi said.

Belfast Telegraph