California, Los Angeles, USA:  A shocking incident unfolded in Los Angeles when Gurpreet Singh, a 36-year-old Sikh man of Indian descent, lost his life in police gunfire. The episode occurred while he was displaying gatka, the traditional martial art of the Sikh community.

The incident happened on July 13 at the junction of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard. Police said they received multiple 911 calls from the public, reporting a man allegedly threatening people with a large knife. Responding officers reached the location and identified the man as Gurpreet Singh. Video footage released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) showed him parking his car in the middle of the road and acting unusually while holding the knife.

Authorities revealed that Singh was repeatedly asked to put down his weapon, but he refused to comply. Instead, he hurled a bottle at officers and attempted to flee in his car. During the chase, his vehicle crashed into a police patrol car and came to a halt a short distance away. Gurpreet then stepped out of the vehicle, still carrying the knife, and charged towards the officers. The LAPD stated that they opened fire in self-defence.

Singh, who sustained critical injuries, was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds during treatment. Investigators recovered a two-foot-long double-edged knife, identified as a khanda commonly used in Sikh martial arts, from the scene. Fortunately, no police personnel or civilians were injured in the encounter. Officials confirmed that a high-level investigation into the shooting is underway.

Why was Gurpreet Singh carrying a knife?

According to eyewitnesses and police, Singh was demonstrating gatka—the traditional martial art form of Sikhs—on the street at the time of the incident.

Why did police open fire?

Authorities clarified that the shooting occurred to protect themselves. Despite repeated warnings to drop the weapon, Singh ignored instructions, threw a bottle, and later advanced towards officers with the knife in hand, forcing them to respond with gunfire.