(AP Photo/Zoogster Costumes)
ESSEX, Md. ---- An off duty Baltimore city police officer was charged with assault and reckless endangerment after pointing his service handgun at a chain-saw-wielding actor inside a haunted house on Monday.
Haunted house employee, Mike Morrison, told police, he followed Sgt. Eric Janik, 37, his daughter and four other people, up a staircase Sunday night at the end of a tour in an effort to get "one last scream" out of them.
When Janik and his 9-year-old daughter exited into the parking lot, Janik pulled his gun and pointed at Morrison who was dressed like the character from the Texas Chainsaw massacre. Morrison told police that Janik was less then 10 feet away when he pointed the gun toward his chest. He said he dropped the chainsaw raised his hands and backed away.
Only then did Janik identify himself as a police officer said Morrison who retreated back into the building.
Morrison told the Associated Press that he began to shake pretty bad.
Another employee who worked at the House of screams called police.
According to the police report, Janik smelled of alcohol and told officers two different stories about what he did with his weapon. First, he denied drawing his gun, but later recanted and told officers he pointed it toward the ground.
Two other witnesses told police that Janik did in fact point the gun at Morrison’s chest.
The house of screams owner, Tony Sapanero said, Janik appeared drunk when he arrived.
Janik was suspended without pay pending a formal suspension hearing
Janik, a police officer since 1995, works patrol in the southwest district of Baltimore.
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