Toronto police are launching a full investigation after a handcuffed man was able to pull\u00a0out a handgun while riding in the back seat of a cruiser\u00a0\u2014 an incident that was caught on camera.<\/p>\n
Toronto police said Tuesday the incident took place last Sunday in The Esplanade area of the downtown core, when a man was arrested on suspicion of driving while impaired near the strip of bars and restaurants.<\/p>\n CBC Toronto has obtained video of the incident, which was captured by the cruiser’s on-board camera. In the video, the\u00a0accused can be seen pulling out the weapon before sliding it down his legs.<\/p>\n Police said in a release that a “pat down” search was conducted, and the 38-year-old man\u00a0was handcuffed,\u00a0but as officers drove the man to a nearby police station they heard something hit the floor in the back seat.<\/p>\n When officers opened the back door they found a semi-automatic pistol in front of the man, police said.<\/p>\n “The officers conducted a search of the accused and the gun was not detected,” said Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders in a statement.<\/p>\n “The incident is under investigation to assess if this is a training or disciplinary matter.”<\/p>\n The accused, meanwhile, is facing nine criminal charges, most of which are firearms-related.<\/p>\n It’s unclear how the man hid the weapon from the officers, but police said they sent a safety notice to other officers warning them about what happened in this case.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Mayor John Tory called the incident “disconcerting” and said the situation could have put front-line officers and the public in harms way.<\/p>\n “It certainly would have placed the officers at risk,” Tory said.<\/p>\n Tory, who sits on the city’s police services board, said the force will now have to sort out what happened.<\/p>\nMayor calls incident ‘disconcerting’<\/h2>\n