A policeman helped prevent a massacre by distracting a 'Kalashnikov-welding' gunman so his colleagues could arrest him on a busy street.

Passersby were terrified when the lone gunman opened fire at random targets in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 2.

Officers attempted to apprehend the man, who seemed to be unleashing shots at unseen targets.

One of the officers bravely attempted to distract the man, standing behind a vehicle appearing to get the gunman's attention.

His colleague, who appeared to have flanked the man, was seen shortly after tackling the gunman to the ground as nearby passers-by were heard cheering at the arrest.

Two officers completed the arrest as a crowd of angry pedestrians gathered around them to kick the gunman in anger.

No one was reportedly injured in the incident.

An investigation by authorities reportedly determined that the gunman was under the influence of drugs during the shooting.

The circumstances in which the unnamed suspect acquired the weapon and ammunition remained unknown.

Iraq's drug usage, particularly among the younger population, has been surging in recent years.

According to Hussein Al-Amiri, a member of the Security and Defense Committee, the Iraqi Parliament is working continuously with the government to create an anti-drug agency directly linked to the prime minister.