Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against LCG, others by parents of Trayford Pellerin

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- The federal lawsuit brought by the parents of Trayford Pellerin against Lafayette Consolidated Government, former Police Chief Scott Morgan and others was dismissed in December, court records show.

In a decision dated Dec. 20, U.S. District Judge Robert Summerhays granted a motion for summary judgment filed by lawyers for the defendants, which included LCG, Morgan, 10 unidentified police officers and two unidentified insurance companies.

Previously, the court dismissed claims against LPD in the suit on the ground that LPD was not a distinct juridical entity with the capacity to be sued.

Summerhays dismissed the case with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled.

Pellerin was killed in 2020 as he walked away from a convenience store in Lafayette. Police said the Black man was trying to go into another store while still holding the knife when officers shot him. A private autopsy released by Pellerin’s family determined he was shot 10 times.

In the federal lawsuit, Pellerin’s family said the only knife seen in body camera footage and photographs after the shooting shown to them is one used to cut Pellerin’s clothing to give him first aid after he was shot.

Read the entire ruling below: