Louisiana authorities are investigating the death of 31-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by police while his back was turned

• A 31-year-old Black man, Trayford Pellerin, was shot by Lafayette, Lousiana police officers at a local convenience store, The Daily Advertiser reported. 
• Lousiana state police announced an investigation into the incident. Police involved are under administrative leave until further notice. 
• Pellerin's family is calling for the officers involved to be terminated, according to their attorney.
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A 31-year old Black man in Lafayette, Lousiana was shot multiple times outside a local gas station as he was walking away from police officers, the Daily Advertiser reported. 

The man, Trayford Pellerin, was fenced in by six police officers as they shot 11 rounds, according to the outlet. The incident was caught on video by a witness who said she was "traumatized" by what she saw. 

State police have now issued an investigation into this incident. 

According to a Louisiana State Police news release,  authorities were called to a local convenience store at 8 p.m. to investigate a "disturbance" where a person — reportedly Pellerin — was armed with a knife on Friday. As police tried to detain Pellerin, he walked away from the scene, the release said. The officers pursued him on foot before deploying their tasers, which police said were ineffective in stopping Pellerin.

The officers then fired shots at Pellerin as he tried to enter a convenience store. Pellerin was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to state police.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing, the news release said. 

According to the Daily Advertiser, the officers involved with the shooting have been placed on administrative leave with pay until further notice. 

Pellerin's death comes nearly three months after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which had also been caught on video, and led to worldwide unrest. 

Following Pellerin's death, protesters gathered on Saturday to demonstrate against excessive use of force by police. The protestors clashed with police after blocking traffic near a police precinct, according to CNN affiliate KATC. Flares and smoke canisters were released on the crowd, the report said. 

 

One of the lawyers representing Pellerin's family, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, issued a statement on Twitter, calling for the officers involved to be terminated. 

"The family, and the people of Lafayette, deserve honesty and accountability from those who are sworn to protect them - the Lafayette Police," Crump, who is known for representing families of Black victims in high-profile shootings like George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, said in the statement, "The officers involved should be fired immediately for their abhorrent and fatal actions." 

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