A Sikh man was shot dead by Los Angeles police after a confrontation in downtown Los Angeles, authorities confirmed. The man, identified as Gurpreet Singh (36), was reportedly performing Gatka, a traditional Sikh martial art, when the incident unfolded.
According to footage released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Singh was armed with a large blade near the Crypto.com Arena, according to an NDTV report. The police described the weapon as a machete, which was later identified as a khanda, a double-edged sword used in Sikh martial arts.
The incident occurred on July 13 after the LAPD received multiple 911 calls reporting a man swinging a large blade at pedestrians near the busy intersection of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard.
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.
Now compare this with India. Here, mobs can assault police, humiliate them into folding hands, circulate those images as “victory,”… pic.twitter.com/N2Hsyuif9V
— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) August 29, 2025
Police said Singh abandoned his vehicle in the middle of the road and even attempted to harm himself by trying to slice his tongue. Officers reportedly issued multiple commands for him to drop the weapon. When officers approached, Singh allegedly threw a bottle at them and tried to flee, driving erratically before colliding with a police vehicle near Figueroa and 12th Streets.
Authorities stated that Singh then charged at officers with the blade, prompting them to open fire. He was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries. No police officers or bystanders were harmed in the incident.
A two-foot-long machete recovered at the scene has been booked as evidence. The shooting remains under investigation by the LAPD.
