LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Dramatic new video shows the moments before a man waving a machete near Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles was fatally shot by police.
The incident happened on July 13.
Officers responded to Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard just after 9 a.m. after receiving reports of a man in the middle of the street waving a machete.
The 911 callers said the man – identified as 35-year-old Gurpreet Singh – had stopped his car in the middle of the intersection, got out and was swinging the machete at people.
In video shared on the Los Angeles Police Department’s YouTube channel, at one point, Singh appeared to cut his tongue with the massive knife.
“Officers gave multiple commands for Singh to drop the weapon,” said police in an update. “However, he failed to comply. Singh then returned to his vehicle, retrieved a water bottle, and threw it at the officers.”
Singh then took off in his car, waving the machete outside the driver’s side window, according to police.
Police said officers then initiated a brief pursuit in which Singh “drove erratically” and crashed with an officer’s vehicle.
Singh stopped near Figueroa and 12th streets and charged at the officers with the machete, according to police.
That’s when gunfire erupted.
Singh was shot and was rushed to the hospital where he later died.
The 2-foot long machete was recovered at the scene and booked as evidence.
No injuries were reported.
Police also identified the officers involved in the incident as Central Area Police Officer IIs Michael Orozco and Nestor Espinoza Bojorquez. The shooting remains under investigation.
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