New Delhi: The Los Angeles police department has released a fresh video—including bodycam footage—of an Indian origin man, Gurpreet Singh, who was seen waving a machete in downtown Los Angeles on 13 July, and was some time later shot at by Los Angeles Police Department officers. He died on 17 July.
The video shows the 36-year-old man, wearing a blue turban, waving a 2-feet long machete at the Crypto.com Arena in LA. The footage now released shows the entire incident, from him at the intersection to him shot and lying down motionless after.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Force Investigation Division is investigating the shooting. “The following information is based on a preliminary and ongoing investigation, which continues to evolve as investigators interview witnesses, review physical and electronic records, and analyse forensic evidence. The Department’s understanding of the facts and circumstances may change as additional evidence is collected and analysed,” the LAPD has said.
According to the LAPD, on 13 July at around 9:10 am, the Central Patrol Division officers responded to a radio call of a ADW suspect (assault with a deadly weapon) in the area of South Figueroa Street and West Olympic Boulevard. The comments of the call indicated that a male suspect stopped his vehicle in the middle of the intersection, exited, and was swinging a sword at pedestrians. The LAPD has also released the recording of this 911 call where the caller says that Singh was in a Black Mustang, was “training” on the road and “threatening” people.
Footage also showed Singh folding his hands in what appears to be prayer, before he starts waving the machete. LAPD said officers on duty had given multiple commands for Singh to drop the weapon. However he failed to comply and returned to his vehicle.
He then retrieved a water bottle, and threw it at the officers after which he again entered his vehicle and fled southwards on Figueroa Street while waving the machete outside the driver’s side window. Then followed a brief pursuit where LAPD says Singh drove “erratically and collided with an officer’s vehicle”.
After a couple of minutes, the 36 year old stopped near Figueroa Street and 12th Street, and exited his vehicle. Still armed with the machete, he charged at the officers, resulting in an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS).
The officers—Michael Orozco and Nestor Espinoza Bojorquez—shot Singh and he fell on the pavement. He was taken into custody and provided medical treatment. Investigators found the machete, two feet in length, at the scene and booked it as evidence.
The LAPD has said it conducts thorough investigations into use of force, which requires viewing hours of video footage and interviewing multiple witnesses, all of which requires a significant amount of time.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: America’s out-of-control militarised police forces are a threat to democracy
Khalistani antics and associated entitlement doesn’t really work well in USA.
Had it been India, the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and the SGPC would have conveniently termed it as an attack on the entire Sikh community. They would have blamed the police and accused it of carrying out Hindutva-inspired violence on Sikhs.
Exactly. And Western media would have amplified it by leaving out the crucial details that would have upset their narrative.