Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers fatally shot a 35-year-old Sikh man, Gurpreet Singh, who waved a large machete on a busy street, refused to comply with repeated police commands and later charged at officers following a car chase.

The incident occurred on the morning of July 13 near the intersection of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard, close to the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles. Multiple 911 calls reported a man swinging a large blade at pedestrians and vehicles.

According to footage released by LAPD, Singh — a resident of Arcadia — was filmed waving a 27-inch-long machete, at one point appearing to gesture as if to slice his tongue. LAPD said, “Officers gave multiple commands for Singh to drop the weapon”, but he did not comply.

Instead, Singh retrieved a water bottle from his vehicle and hurled it at the officers before fleeing in his car while brandishing the blade outside the driver’s window. Officers pursued him as he drove erratically, circling on streets and colliding with a police vehicle.

Singh eventually abandoned his car near Figueroa and 12th Streets, stepped out still armed with the machete, and charged at officers. The LAPD stated that officers ordered him to stop before opening fire as he advanced towards their vehicle.

Singh collapsed on the pavement after being struck by gunfire. The Los Angeles Fire Department transported him to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on July 17.

The machete, described as a two-foot-long “khanda” (a traditional double-edged Sikh martial weapon), was recovered from the scene and booked as evidence.

The LAPD identified the officers involved in the shooting as Central Area Police Officer IIs Michael Orozco and Nestor Espinoza Bojorquez. The department confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine whether the officers’ tactics and use of deadly force met departmental standards.

No officers or civilians were injured during the incident.