Watch: Police shoot dead Sikh man performing gatka on LA road; release video of Gurpreet Singh waving a machete | World News
A dramatic police video has captured the moments before a 35-year-old Sikh man, wielding a machete near Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles was fatally shot by officers in July this year. The incident took place on the morning of July 13, when multiple 911 callers reported a man brandishing a large blade at passersby at the busy intersection of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard. Police later identified him as Gurpreet Singh.LAPD released footage of the incident on its YouTube channel yesterday, where Singh is seen apparently performing Gatka, a traditional Sikh martial art, in the middle of the street. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Singh abandoned his car in the middle of the road, waved the machete aggressively and, at one point, even appeared to slice his own tongue with the weapon. Officers said they repeatedly ordered him to drop the blade, but he refused to comply. Singh briefly returned to his vehicle, retrieved a water bottle and hurled it at police before driving off while sticking the machete out of the window. Officers launched a short pursuit during which Singh allegedly drove erratically and collided with a police vehicle. He finally came to a stop near Figueroa and 12th Streets, where police said he charged at them with the weapon. Officers opened fire, striking Singh. He was rushed to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. The LAPD said a two-foot-long machete was recovered from the scene. No officers or civilians were hurt in the ordeal.
