Kentucky man sparks panic in movie theater after pulling gun on child who kicked his seat

Panic struck a Paducah, Kentucky movie theater on Saturday after a man in the audience pulled a gun during a fight caused by a child kicking the back of his seat.

According to the local TV news station KFVS 12, police were called to Paducah's Cinemark Theater on Saturday morning, responding to calls that a gun was drawn inside the cinema. A man told one of the officers on the scene that another man sitting in front of him and his son grew irritated that the child was repeatedly kicking the back of the other man's seat.

Witnesses said that a fight broke out between the two men after the aggrieved audience member cursed at the boy. As the father was winning the brawl, the other man pulled out a gun, asking, "What the [expletive] are you going to do now?"

Police said others in the audience ran for the exit as soon as they saw the gun. The gun-wielding patron was escorted out of the theater by Cinemark employees and patrons.

KFVS 12 reports that the cops arrested the man, and are expected to present their findings to the McCracken County Attorney's Office on Monday for charges. The station notes that no shots were fired during the altercation.

While the incident did not result in any injuries or loss of life, Deadline writes that the brawl at Paducah's Cinemark Theater recalls deadlier fights between moviegoers. In January 2014, retired Tampa police captain Curtis Reeves faced charges of second-degree murder after shooting and killing another man who had been texting during the film screening. Last year, a gunman shot and killed two and wounded nine at a movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana, during a showing of the comedy film, Trainwreck.