- Gurpreet Singh was shot by LAPD after wielding a machete near Crypto.com Arena
- He performed traditional Sikh martial arts called Gatka before the police encounter
- Singh abandoned his car, tried to attack officers, and was shot after refusing commands
A 36-year-old Sikh man, identified as Gurpreet Singh, was shot by the Los Angeles police in the middle of the road. According to the footage released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Singh was performing Gatka, a form of traditional Sikh martial arts.
The police said that he was wielding a machete near Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles. He was shot dead after he refused to comply and even tried to attack the police. The machete was later identified as a "khanda" - a double-edged sword used in Indian martial arts.
The incident took place on July 13, after the LAPD received multiple 911 calls about a man swinging a large blade at passersby at the busy intersection of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard.
The police also stated that Singh abandoned his vehicle in the middle of the road, and even tried to slice his tongue at one point. "Officers gave multiple commands for Singh to drop the weapon," police said.
When the police went near him, he threw a bottle at them before trying to flee the scene. He drove erratically while the officers pursued him and finally collided with another police vehicle after which he came to a stop near Figueroa and 12th Streets. He then charged at them with the blade. He was then shot.
The police informed, "A machete, two feet in length, was recovered at the scene and booked as evidence."
He was taken to the hospital, but succumbed to bullet injuries. No officers or civilians were hurt in the incident.
The shooting is currently under investigation.
