Singh, 35, reportedly waved a two-foot machete at passersby, sliced his own tongue, and hurled a bottle at officers during the chaotic incident.
BY PC Bureau
August 29 — A dramatic police video released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has captured the final moments before Gurpreet Singh, a 35-year-old Sikh man, was fatally shot by officers in downtown Los Angeles last month.
The incident occurred on the morning of July 13, when multiple 911 callers reported a man armed with a large blade and threatening pedestrians at the busy intersection of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard, near the Crypto.com Arena. Police later identified him as Gurpreet Singh.
According to LAPD, Singh abandoned his car in the middle of the road, brandished a two-foot machete, and began performing Gatka, a traditional Sikh martial art. At one point, he appeared to slice his own tongue with the weapon, alarming bystanders and drawing swift police response.
Police failure
A Sikh man was shot dead by the police in a police encounter in Los Angeles, while the police officers could have caught him alive. Why is such treatment given to foreign citizens in America when Indians consider foreigners as guests?
According to the police,… pic.twitter.com/lbHUAmmcmF
— S.S.Chauhan RFS (@SUBHAMSINGH112) August 29, 2025
Body-worn camera and dashcam footage, released yesterday on the LAPD’s YouTube channel, shows officers repeatedly commanding Singh to drop the machete. Instead, he ignored their warnings, briefly returned to his car, retrieved a water bottle, and hurled it at the officers before driving away with the blade sticking out of his window.
READ: Opinion | With or Without PUCL, Manipur’s Ethnic Divide Is Real
A short police pursuit followed, during which Singh allegedly drove erratically and struck a police vehicle. The chase ended near Figueroa and 12th Streets, where LAPD said Singh suddenly charged at officers with the machete in hand. It was then that multiple officers opened fire, striking him.
Paramedics rushed Singh to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Police confirmed that the machete was recovered from the scene. No civilians or officers were injured in the confrontation.
The LAPD emphasized that officers had attempted de-escalation but were left with “no choice” when Singh allegedly advanced toward them with the weapon. The video release comes as part of the department’s critical incident transparency policy, which requires footage of fatal police encounters to be made public within 45 days.
Community members have expressed shock over the incident, with some Sikh organizations calling for a deeper investigation into whether Singh was in mental distress at the time. Civil rights groups have also raised concerns about police use of force against minorities in high-stress situations.
READ: Another Cloudburst in a Week Batters Uttarakhand’s Hills
The LAPD said the matter is now under review by the department’s Force Investigation Division and the Office of the Inspector General. Meanwhile, Singh’s family has not yet issued a public statement.
