WATCH: Chilling moment suspect faces off with police after van ploughs into pedestrians killing nine

A suspect in a deadly Toronto van incident, which saw at least nine killed and 16 injured, has been arrested following a dramatic standoff with police.

As large crowds of office workers took their lunch breaks on Monday afternoon, a white rental van ploughed its way down a footpath on the corner of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue in the north end of the city.

Moments later, footage captured from a high rise building showed the suspect pointing an unknown object at a police officer standing just metres away.

The two face-off next to a food truck before the man drops the object and lowers himself to his knees.

With his baton drawn, the police officer can be seen moving in his direction when the footage cuts off.

A second piece of footage taken at ground level give another glimpse into the intensity of the situation.

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The officer can be heard yelling at the man, “get down or you’ll be shot" as the man stands just metres from the crumpled white rental van.

Officials have so far declined to answer questions as to what motivated the driver to steer the white Ryder rental van into the crowd during a lunch hour on a sunny Monday afternoon.

"The investigation is at a stage where no further information can be confirmed at this point," Canada's public safety minister, Ralph Goodale, told a news conference.

"The police are conducting obviously their thorough investigation to determine what happened and why it happened, the motivations involved."

At least one witness told local media they saw the driver appearing to deliberately target victims on the 1.6km rampage through the city.

Buildings and workplaces in the area where the van struck pedestrians in Toronto were locked down, and a nearby subway station was closed and service suspended.

Yonge Street is large, divided boulevard at the point where the incident occurred, its center meridian dotted with planter boxes and sculptures.

The incident was one of the most violent in recent Canadian history.