PHOTOS: Shocking moment as referee pulls a gun on a player after being punched in the face

The referee returns, gun in hand [Photo: Courtesy]

This is the shocking moment a Brazilian referee runs onto a football pitch with a gun in an apparent effort to restore order after scenes turned violent when an amateur footballer challenged a penalty.

Referee Camilo Eustáquio de Souza, was filmed grabbing the weapon from his bag along with a pair of handcuffs last Sunday, as an angry player, named as Marcos Lopes Vieira, disputed the decision and allegedly punched him in the face.

[Photo: Courtesy]

Mercifully Mr de Souza’s extraordinary reaction was too late because Mr Vieira escaped as soon as he saw the ref wasn’t returning with a red card.

The player fled the ground, jumping the Starling Soares Stadium fence in Passos, south east Brazil, to hide in the dressing room.

Footage captures Mr de Souza, a police officer, returning to the bench and collecting his stuff as bewildered players look on, giving him a wide berth.

The incident happened during a game between Oriente from Passos and Industrial from Itaú de Minas in the Amador Regional Championships in the Passense League.

The home team was winning 3-2 when 30 minutes into the second half, the Industrial goalkeeper fouled an opposition striker about to score.

The game turned ugly and ended in confusion the moment the ref awarded the penalty.

But a defiant Mr de Souza, who has been a ref for 19 years, defended his actions and declared he had not overreacted while sporting his blackeye.

The ref shows off his black eye [Photo: Courtesy]