A 38-year-old man was caught on camera pulling out a handgun from his trousers while handcuffed and seated in the back of a police car in Toronto.
Police insist they had given the man a pat down and placed him in cuffs before seating him in the back of the cruiser.
But in the video leaked by the Toronto Police Department, the man can be seen wriggling around as he attempts to pull the pistol out of his waistband or pocket.
A video appears to show a suspect pulling out a handgun while handcuffed
After eventually nudging it out, the man manages to get the weapon between his legs and at one point appears to have a firm grip of the firearm, but then ends up dropping it onto the floor of the vehicle.
Police say that while they were taking the suspect to the station, officers heard the sound of an object hitting the floor.
Cops decided to pull over their car and it was only when they opened the back doors to the patrol car they saw the semi-automatic pistol on the floor, directly in front of the suspect.
The firearm was picked up by officers and the suspect was searched for a second time before being taken to the police station to be booked.
At first, it appears to be a struggle as the suspect, Ali Shobeg, 38, is seen wriggling around
The suspect can then be seen pulling a handgun out of his pants while handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser on Sunday
Ali Shobeg, 38, of Mississauga, Ontario near Toronto, faces nine charges, including eight firearm-related charges.
'The safety of our officers and the public is of paramount importance to the Toronto Police Service,' said Chief Mark Saunders to the Toronto Sun.
'Our officers face risks every day in their jobs. In this case, a call for a suspected impaired driver resulted in multiple firearm-related charges against an individual who allegedly concealed the firearm during his arrest by police.
'The officers conducted a search of the accused and the gun was not detected. The incident is under investigation to assess if this is a training or disciplinary matter.'
In this frame, Shobeg appears composed as he grasps the pistol in his right hand
Shobeg, 38, can be seen tucking the weapon between his legs before it fell to the floor
Police union president Mike McCormack also praised the work of the officers involved.
'I think it's a chilling reminder that there's no such thing as a routine traffic stop or routine arrest,' McCormack said to City News. 'Here's someone who's arrested for an unrelated offence and this could've been so much worse.'
A separate investigation is also underway as to who leaked the 'in-car camera evidence' to the media.
Chief Saunders called the sharing of the video 'a clear breach of protocol and procedure.'
Mayor of Toronto John Tory called the episode 'disconcerting.'
'You don't want to think that somebody who is inside a police car or anywhere else for that matter has a gun, especially after they've been searched,' he told reporters at a press conference and reported by CTV.
'It's a matter for police to sort out as to how a search could happen and a gun could still remain in the custody of a suspect in a police car and I'll look forward to seeing what comes out of that and what recommendations come out as to how that kind of thing can be avoided because it certainly would have placed the officers at risk, let alone the public, if that person had that gun, which appears to be the case.'