Bodycam footage shows Singh, wearing a vest, shorts, and a blue turban, waving the blade in what appeared to be martial arts movements and at one point seemingly cutting his face.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has released bodycam footage of a July 13 incident in which officers fatally shot 35-year-old Gurpreet Singh, a Sikh man seen performing what appeared to be Gatka, a traditional Sikh martial art involving swords, in the middle of a busy downtown intersection. The shooting has sparked questions about police use of force and possible cultural misunderstandings.
The incident occurred shortly after 9 a.m. near Crypto.com Arena at the intersection of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard. According to LAPD reports and multiple 911 calls, Singh stopped his car in the middle of traffic, exited, and began swinging a two-foot sword, described by police as a machete but identified by some sources as a double-edged sword used in Gatka. Bodycam footage shows Singh, wearing a vest, shorts, and a blue turban, waving the blade in what appeared to be martial arts movements and at one point seemingly cutting his face. Witnesses told police he was threatening passersby, prompting an emergency response.
Officers Michael Orozco and Nestor Espinoza Bojorquez arrived and repeatedly ordered Singh to drop the weapon. Instead, Singh threw a water bottle at the officers, re-entered his vehicle, and fled while waving the blade out of the window. A brief pursuit followed, during which Singh drove erratically and struck multiple vehicles, including a police car. The chase ended near Figueroa and 12th streets, where Singh exited his car and charged toward the officers with the sword raised. Both officers opened fire, striking him multiple times. Singh was taken to a nearby hospital but later died of his injuries. No officers or bystanders were harmed.
Gatka, rooted in Sikh martial traditions, involves weapons such as swords and sticks and is commonly performed at religious and cultural events. Video analysis of social media clips and bodycam footage shows Singh initially moving in a controlled, martial-arts-like pattern before his behavior became erratic. LAPD officials, however, said Singh’s refusal to comply with commands and his charge at officers justified the use of lethal force, citing an imminent threat to public safety.
Reactions online and within the community have been divided. Some questioned why non-lethal options such as tasers or beanbag rounds were not used, with one user asking: “Could he have been arrested alive?” The incident also comes amid heightened scrutiny of LAPD’s response to mental health crises, though no details about Singh’s mental state have been released.
