A 36-year-old Sikh man, identified as Gurpreet Singh, was shot dead by Los Angeles police after a dramatic confrontation in downtown LA on July 13.
According to footage released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Singh was performing Gatka, a traditional Sikh martial art, while wielding a large blade near the busy intersection of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard, close to Crypto.com Arena.
Police said multiple 911 calls were made about a man swinging a weapon at passersby.
Responding officers alleged that Singh refused repeated commands to drop the weapon and even attempted to attack them. The blade was later identified as a khanda — a double-edged sword used in Indian martial arts.
Authorities reported that Singh had abandoned his car in the middle of the road, attempted to slice his tongue, and hurled a bottle at officers before trying to flee.
After a brief pursuit, he crashed into a police vehicle near Figueroa and 12th Streets, where he allegedly charged at officers with the sword. Police opened fire, fatally wounding him.
Singh was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries. A two-foot-long machete was recovered from the scene as evidence.
No officers or civilians were injured in the incident. The LAPD has launched an investigation into the shooting.
Los Angeles police shot dead Gurpreet Singh, 35, after he stopped his car in the middle of an intersection and allegedly swung a machete at people.
— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) August 29, 2025
Now compare this with India. Here, mobs can assault police, humiliate them into folding hands, circulate those images as “victory,”… pic.twitter.com/N2Hsyuif9V
