Police will probe latest Rob Ford ‘crack’ video as part of ongoing investigation

A new video reportedly showing Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine will become part of an ongoing police investigation, according to reports that follow the explosive revelation that Ford had temporarily stepped down and is seeking treatment for substance abuse issues.

The video, which has been viewed by two reporters at the Globe and Mail, was reportedly shot last weekend in the basement of Ford’s sister's home and shows the mayor "taking a drag from a long copper-coloured pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke and then frantically shaking his right hand."

The video was show to the reporters by a man who described himself as a drug dealer and said it was crack the mayor was smoking from the pipe.

The description of the video was one of several reports released Wednesday night regarding various recent drunken and allegedly drug-educed escapades involving the mayor.

[ Related: Mayor Rob Ford urged to resign after new ‘crack’ video and drunken audio send him seeking treatment ]

Ford's connection to Toronto's underworld is currently the subject of a police investigation being conducted by the Toronto Police Service and overseen by the Ontario Police Service.

Project Brazen 2 was launched last year, after Ford's name and the existence of a separate crack video were mentioned on phone conversations caught in police wiretaps related another drug investigation.

Ford has not been charged in connection to Project Brazen 2, but his friend and former driver Alexander "Sandro" Lisi faces charges of drug trafficking and extortion, in relation to his alleged attempt to recover the previous crack video.

According to the Globe, Lisi can be seen in one of the three videos shown to reporters on Wednesday.

Det. Gary Giroux, the lead investigator in Project Brazen 2, told reporters on Thursday that police would look into the latest alleged crack video as part of the probe.

“We investigate it from any sources, including media sources. So independent sources from the community and the media – we’ll investigate,” he told the newspaper.

“Our original mandate was to determine any criminality involved in the mayor or the mayor’s office. So mainly, my focus would be on that. I would stay true to that original mandate that we had.”

The merits of Project Brazen 2 had recently been publicly questioned after OPP members said they were stepping back from the investigation until new evidence arose. Ford declared at the time that he had been vindicated.

There is now new evidence for police to consider. Whether charges will follow, however, remains a matter of speculation.