Lafayette Police Fatally Shoot Black Man Walking Away From Them In Disturbance Call
Cries for justice have flooded the timeline after footage of police tasing and fatally shooting a Black man outside of a gas station emerged earlier today. Police in Lafayette, Louisiana fired eleven shots at the victim as he walked away from them and towards a convenience store at gas station.
The incident was captured on camera as roughly half a dozen police officers swarmed the scene after a police were called over a disturbance. The woman video taping the incident can be heard saying that the man was carrying a knife, though officials have yet to confirm that detail. Police demand that he get on the floor but he continues to walk towards the gas station before they unsuccessfully tased him. From there, they fired eleven shots and fatally struck the victim who's left lying motionless on the ground.
"When I heard the gunshots, I couldn't hold my phone like I was first filming," Rickasha Montgomery, the witness who filmed the shooting, told the Advertiser. "I feel kind of scared about it. I'm traumatized. You're so used to hearing about this, but I never thought I would experience it."
Trayford Pellerin, 31, was identified as the victim by Louisiana State Police who have been requested by the Lafayette Police Department to investigate the shooting. A spokesperson for the Louisiana State Police said that Pellerin was involved in an altercation at an intersection half a mile away prior to police killing him.
The officers involved in the shooting are currently on administrative leave with pay pending an investigation. We'll keep you posted on any more updates.
The video below contains graphic footage that might be triggering to some.