Cops fired flash-bang explosives into a crowd of protesters Saturday night in Lafayette, Louisiana … this after Trayford Pellerin died being shot 11 times at a gas station.

The protest/vigil was held at the Shell gas station where 31-year-old Trayford Pellerin’s life ended. He had allegedly been holding a knife as cops followed him. Police say they tased Pellerin, but he continued to walk toward the convenience store with a knife, and when he approached the door, they shot him.

What police didn’t explain … why 11 shots? Could they have disabled him with one shot so he couldn’t enter the convenience store? So far, the PD has not addressed this point.

Around 150 people were at the station, when Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s deputies wearing riot gear formed a line to block the protesters.

The protesters chanted, “Hands up, don’t shoot,” and at a point deputies fired their flash-bang explosives at the crowd.

Several arrests were made. As for the deputies involved in the shooting … they were all placed on administrative leave with pay pending an investigation.