Drivers suddenly found themselves in the middle of a tense police takedown last week in South Vancouver, where officers used flashbangs to arrest a suspect.

Video recorded on one motorist's dashboard camera shows armed members of the Emergency Response Team surrounding a vehicle near the intersection of 41st Avenue and Knight Street on Thursday.

At one point, officers toss flashbangs – also known as stun grenades – toward the vehicle, causing two loud blasts and sending a cloud of smoke wafting over traffic.

No actual arrests can be seen on the video, which was uploaded to YouTube the same day, but the Vancouver Police Department told CTV News officers took a 38-year-old man into custody.

Const. Steve Addison said the man was wanted in relation to a criminal harassment investigation.

"A person in the vehicle was considered violent, and the Emergency Response Team was deployed to ensure the safety of the public, the police, and the suspect during the arrest," Addison said in an email.

Charges have already been recommended against the suspect.