POLICE SERGEANT STILL IN CRITICAL CONDITION TONIGHT AND IN A MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA AFTER HE WAS SHOT IN THE FACE. SERGEANT ERIC LEVASSEUR WAS SHOT WITH AN AK 47 RIFLE MONDAY NIGHT RESPONDING TO A CALL IN THE TOWN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD OF TRADITION. THE GUNMAN WAS KILLED BY POLICE IN A SHOOTOUT. GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE AT 6:00. I’M TODD MCDERMOTT, AND I’M FELICIA RODRIGUEZ ONLY ON WPBF 25 NEWS. OUR RACHAEL PERRY SPOKE WITH SERGEANT LEVASSEUR’S FORMER PARTNER, WHO SAYS HE IS THE DEFINITION OF A GOOD COP. FOR ROUGHLY SIX YEARS, TOM NICHOLS AND SERGEANT ERIC LEVASSEUR WERE PARTNERS WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE PORT SAINT LUCIE POLICE DEPARTMENT. ERIC IS A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE. I LOVE HIM LIKE HE’S MY OWN BROTHER. TOM HAS SINCE RETIRED AND REMEMBERS HEARING THE NEWS MONDAY. AND THEN TO HEAR THAT IT’S SOMEONE THAT I WORKED WITH ERIC FOR SO LONG WAS JUST VERY, YOU KNOW, HEART WRENCHING TO HEAR THAT HE GOT SHOT, YOU KNOW, ANSWERING A CALL FOR SERVICE. AND IT WAS REALLY UNNECESSARY HAVING KNOWN HIM SO LONG, NICHOLS SAYS IF HE EVER HAD A PROBLEM, SERGEANT LEVASSEUR IS WHO HE’D WANT THERE. HE ALWAYS LOOKED FOR THE GOOD IN PEOPLE AND GAVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. LEVASSEUR WAS PROMOTED TO HIS ROLE AS SERGEANT IN 2021, AND HAS SERVED THIS COMMUNITY SINCE 1998, IN VARIOUS ROLES, INCLUDING SWAT, THE MARINE UNIT AND TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT. I COULD DESCRIBE ERIC IN THREE WORDS. HE’S LOYAL, HE’S DEDICATED, AND HE’S DEFINITELY WELL LOVED. NOW ASKING THE COMMUNITY. SERGEANT LEVASSEUR HAS DEDICATED 27 YEARS TO SERVE AND PROTECT. TO PRAY AND HOPE FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY. IT’S BEEN A TOUGH ROAD AHEAD OF HIM, BUT HE’S A WARRIOR. HE’S GOING TO PULL THROUGH THIS IN PORT SAINT LUCIE. RACHEL PERRY, WPBF 25 NEWS, PORT SAINT LUCIE POLICE ARE SET TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE SERGEANT’S CONDITION AND THE INVESTIGATION INTO THIS INCIDENT. THAT’S SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW AT 2 P.M. WPBF 2
‘Long road ahead’: Former partner calls for prayers for injured sergeant
Updated: 6:28 PM EST Dec 3, 2025
Sgt. Erik Levasseur, a dedicated member of the Port St. Lucie Police Department, was shot while responding to a call. WPBF 25 News sat down with Sgt. Levasseur’s former police department colleague, detective Tom Nichols, who reflected on their partnership and urged community support for Levasseur’s recovery. “Erik’s a dear friend of mine. I love him like he’s my own brother,” Nichols said.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsNichols, who worked alongside Levasseur for six years, was deeply affected by the news. “And then to hear that it’s someone that I worked with, Erik, for so long. It was just very, you know, heart-wrenching to hear that he got shot, you know, answering a call for service, and it was really unnecessary,” he said.Nichols emphasized Levasseur’s positive outlook, saying, “He always looked for the good in people and gave them the benefit of the doubt.”Levasseur, promoted to sergeant in 2021, has served the community since 1998 in roles such as marine patrol, SWAT, and traffic enforcement. Nichols described him as “loyal, dedicated, and definitely well-loved.”Nichols is asking the community to pray and hope for Levasseur’s speedy recovery. “He’s got a tough road ahead of him, but he’s a warrior. He’s going to pull through this,” Nichols said.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
Sgt. Erik Levasseur, a dedicated member of the Port St. Lucie Police Department, was shot while responding to a call.
WPBF 25 News sat down with Sgt. Levasseur’s former police department colleague, detective Tom Nichols, who reflected on their partnership and urged community support for Levasseur’s recovery. “Erik’s a dear friend of mine. I love him like he’s my own brother,” Nichols said.
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
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Left to Right: Retired detective Tom Nichols and Port St. Lucie Police Department Sgt. Erik Levasseur
Nichols, who worked alongside Levasseur for six years, was deeply affected by the news. “And then to hear that it’s someone that I worked with, Erik, for so long. It was just very, you know, heart-wrenching to hear that he got shot, you know, answering a call for service, and it was really unnecessary,” he said.
Nichols emphasized Levasseur’s positive outlook, saying, “He always looked for the good in people and gave them the benefit of the doubt.”
Levasseur, promoted to sergeant in 2021, has served the community since 1998 in roles such as marine patrol, SWAT, and traffic enforcement. Nichols described him as “loyal, dedicated, and definitely well-loved.”
Nichols is asking the community to pray and hope for Levasseur’s speedy recovery. “He’s got a tough road ahead of him, but he’s a warrior. He’s going to pull through this,” Nichols said.
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.