AI Generated Summary
- Authorities identified the man as Gurpreet Singh, who was seen on July 13 wielding a 27-inch machete in the middle of the road, threatening passing motorists and pedestrians.
- Los Angeles police fatally shot a 35-year-old Arcadia man after a tense confrontation involving a machete and a high-speed chase through city streets earlier this summer.
- Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department transported him to a nearby hospital, where he remained under treatment until he died from his injuries on July 17.
Los Angeles police fatally shot a 35-year-old Arcadia man after a tense confrontation involving a machete and a high-speed chase through city streets earlier this summer.
Authorities identified the man as Gurpreet Singh, who was seen on July 13 wielding a 27-inch machete in the middle of the road, threatening passing motorists and pedestrians. Police body camera and dashboard footage released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) shows Singh making erratic gestures with the weapon, at one point appearing to mime cutting his own tongue.
According to police, officers issued repeated commands for Singh to drop the machete, but he refused. Instead, he returned to his vehicle, retrieved a water bottle, and threw it toward the officers before speeding away.
Pursuit Turns Violent
The LAPD initiated a vehicle pursuit as Singh drove erratically, circling streets and even colliding with a patrol car. Footage shows him hanging the machete outside the driver’s side window while weaving through traffic.
The chase ended when Singh stopped his vehicle, stepped out still clutching the weapon, and charged toward officers. As he closed in, police fired multiple shots, striking him.
Aftermath and Investigation
Singh collapsed on the pavement, bleeding heavily. Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department transported him to a nearby hospital, where he remained under treatment until he died from his injuries on July 17. The machete was recovered at the scene as evidence.
The officers involved have been identified as Michael Orozco and Nestor Espinoza Bojorquez, both assigned to the LAPD’s Central Division. The department confirmed it is conducting a full investigation into whether their use of deadly force met departmental policy.
The incident has reignited discussions around police use of force, mental health interventions, and public safety responses in high-risk encounters.
