According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Gurpreet Singh abandoned his vehicle in the middle of the street and aggressively waved a two-foot-long machete. At one point during the incident, he appeared to cut his own tongue with the weapon.
On July 13, 35-year-old Gurpreet Singh was seen in a dramatic police video released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) performing ‘Gatka’, a traditional Sikh martial art, while wielding a two-foot-long machete in the middle of a busy intersection near Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles. Multiple 911 calls had reported Singh aggressively swinging the blade at pedestrians at Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard. The footage captures Singh at one point seemingly cutting his own tongue with the weapon. Despite repeated commands from officers to disarm, Singh refused to drop the machete.
Police pursuit ends in officer-involved shooting
After briefly retrieving a water bottle from his vehicle and throwing it at officers, Singh fled in his car while still waving the machete outside the driver’s window. Officers initiated a short pursuit during which Singh drove erratically and collided with a police vehicle. Near Figueroa and 12th Streets, Singh exited his car and charged at officers with the machete, leading to an officer-involved shooting. Singh was struck by gunfire and transported to a hospital, where he later died.
The officers involved have been identified as Michael Orozco and Nestor Espinoza Bojorquez. No officers or bystanders were injured. The LAPDโs Force Investigation Division is conducting a thorough investigation of the incident.
The video release has sparked conversations regarding police response, mental health awareness, and cultural sensitivity during law enforcement encounters with individuals practicing traditional martial arts.