Thread: Cop Pulls Gun on Haunted House Employee

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No good....

ESSEX, Md. (AP) - A Baltimore city police officer delivered the fright of a lifetime to a haunted house employee, pulling a gun on the chain-saw-wielding man at the end of his act, authorities said Monday.

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

The employee, Mike Morrison, followed Janik and several other people up a staircase Sunday night at the end of the haunted house tour in a bid to get "one last scream" out of them, police said.
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When the group exited into a parking lot, Janik pulled his gun and pointed it at Morrison from less than 10 feet away, according to police and Morrison, who said he dropped the chain saw, put his hands up and backed away. The saw had no chain.

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

"I started shaking pretty bad," he told The Associated Press.

Another employee of the House of Screams called police.

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

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

Janik had no listed number and a voice mail for his attorney, Shaun Owens, was not immediately returned.

A security guard had been following Janik's group, which included his 9-year-old daughter, through the haunted house because Janik appeared to be drunk when he arrived, House of Screams owner Tony Sapanero said.

Morrison said 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 chain saw.

Janik was suspended with pay after police commanders learned of what happened and could be without pay after a hearing Tuesday morning, city police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.

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

Oh lovely...what next...!

Alcohol and guns do not mix. Period.

What a dumbass.

Suspension with pay is not a stiff enough penalty for this offense. Being visibly intoxicated and in posession of his service weapon should be a zero tolerance policy. Being an Afghanistan and Iraq veteran If I was intoxicated and carrying around my sidearm I would be burned alive even without drawing my sidearm to present the warning of deadly force.

Although excessive the haunt employee was still on the haunted attractions property and the officer and fellow patrons came to said property with the intention of being subject to such actions acted out by the employee.

In my own opinion I believe a demotion and loss of pay during the course of suspension are in order. That employee could have been one or two beers away from being shot to death.

I'm a law enforcement officer and frequently carry either a back up or duty weapon while off duty. Depends a lot where I am going. I do not carry it if I have been drinking, plan on drinking or think I might go drinking. Matter of fact, when I am home one of my weapons is always out within easy reach for me at night. However...if I have been drinking the weapon stays secured and out of easy reach. I dont want to risk an accident. The rest of the time they are secured. I would never carry one into a haunted house where there would be a chance that "muscle memory" would kick in. I.E. get scared..automatically draw the weapon that can happen drunk or not. Alcohol and guns among other things do not mix. That department needs to rethink their policy.

Originally Posted by BillBraski

In my own opinion I believe a demotion and loss of pay during the course of suspension are in order. That employee could have been one or two beers away from being shot to death.

he gets a paid vacation instead......

Basing this off Johnson724's experience / wisdom. This police officer needs to go to AA. Its obvious that he had a scewed sense of what is right and wrong. Just like the thousands of alchoholics that get behind a wheel every night.

You don't hear much about this sort of thing happening. That's a true scare except it's on the actor! Glad to know no one was really hurt, but it stinks that this had to happen at all.

Drunk or not, the cop pulled a stupid and knew it. He told two different stories concerning his reaction, and neither match other eyewitness accounts.

I don't buy the muscle memory (instictive reaction to fear) for one reason - the actor had already "killed" two other actors and had followed the group for a little while.

The cop didn't reacte at all, he put up with the actor until he decided to put on a show.

This cop just wanted to show off and act the tough guy, and frankly needs to be given an administrative position with no weapon, provided he attends some sort of treatment.

That is my opinion only, based on the information available, and that opinion is subject to change with the influx of new information.