It was just a prank bro. No need to go into your house, get your glock and start shooting clowns! If you are really scared, maybe decide on a baseball bat. You can still knock the creep out and probably not get arrested for attempted murder.

Let’s talk about kids for a minute here. Disciplining them can be tough, so this dad found a way to do it without whooping some heads.

According to one father, the best solution would be to put on your most frightening clown mask and chase your kid down the street.

Vernon Barrett Jr., 25, is a single father to a six-year-old daughter. Her mother was imprisoned on child abuse charges, so you’d think her father might step up to the plate and try to be the most supportive and least intimidating father possible.

However, Bassett who lives with his daughter in Youngston, Ohio claimed he didn’t know how to control his daughter’s behavioural problems, and thought terrifying her beyond belief might do the trick. Of course it only resulted in her fleeing from her father in utter terror.

A woman who saw the scene unfold from her car told police that a little girl ran “in front of her car and jumped into it screaming she was being chased by a clown.”

Bassett then managed to grab a hold of his daughter and led her away from the car, after which, the woman called 911.

The girl managed to escape Barrett once again and ran into the apartment of a stranger, that of 48-year-old Dion Santiago.

According to the police report, “Santiago turned off the lights and looked out his apartment window. He observed Barrett standing outside of the building with a clown mask on. [Santiago] grabbed his firearm and fired a shot out of his window.”

Santiago’s son, who was also present, explained to police that he had heard stories of dangerous interactions with clowns and “got nervous and scared when he looked outside the window and saw a man with a clown mask on.”

When the police arrived, Barrett told them he “decided to use the clown mask into scaring [his daughter] to behave” because her mother was imprisoned for child abuse. Barrett said he “cannot discipline his daughter,” so “they have been having behaviour problems with [her] at school and home.”

Vernon Barrett Jr. was charged with inducing panic and child endangerment and Santiago was also charged for using weapons while intoxicated. Both men were released and are set to appear in court on a later date. The girl was placed in custody of Barrett’s girlfriend while he was detained by police