Sikh man shot dead by police after machete attack in Los Angeles

A 36-year-old Sikh man, identified as Gurpreet Singh, was shot by Los Angeles police after reports of him brandishing a large blade in the middle of a busy street. The incident, captured on an officer’s body camera, has drawn attention after a dramatic video surfaced online.

According to ABC7 and footage released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Singh was performing Gatka, a traditional Sikh martial art. He had stopped a car at the intersection of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard near Crypto.com Arena and was waving a 2-foot-long sword, later identified as a khanda, a double-edged blade used in Indian martial arts.

Police said officers gave multiple commands for Singh to drop the weapon, but he did not comply. Singh allegedly retrieved a water bottle from his vehicle and threw it at officers before charging at them with the blade, prompting police to open fire.

“Officers gave multiple commands for Singh to drop the weapon. However, he failed to comply. Singh then returned to his vehicle, retrieved a water bottle, and threw it at the officers,” ABC7 quoted the LAPD as saying.

The police said Singh abandoned his vehicle in the middle of the road, attempted to harm himself by chopping his tongue, and drove erratically during a police pursuit. After colliding with another police vehicle near Figueroa and 12th Streets, he charged at officers with the blade and was shot.

Singh was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to bullet injuries. The LAPD confirmed that no officers or civilians were injured in the incident. The machete was recovered at the scene and booked as evidence.

“A machete, two feet in length, was recovered at the scene and booked as evidence,” police said.

The shooting remains under investigation as authorities review the events leading to the use of lethal force.