Port St. Lucie sergeant shot twice in the face undergoes surgery
I’M TIFFANY KENNEY. WE INTERRUPT PROGRAMING AS PORT SAINT LUCIE POLICE ARE UPDATING US ON A SERGEANT WHO WAS SHOT TWICE WHILE RESPONDING TO A CALL MONDAY NIGHT. WE DID HAVE THAT SURGERY LAST NIGHT. ALL THE SHRAPNEL WAS THAT COULD BE REMOVED. WAS REMOVED FROM HIS EYES. AND HE’S CURRENTLY RECOVERING FROM THAT PROCEDURE. IT’S ANTICIPATED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO DAYS, HE’LL BE RETURNED TO LONGWOOD MEDICAL CENTER. AND I WILL SAY THAT HE IS SPENDING MORE TIME RIGHT NOW, NOT SEDATED. AND HE IS AWARE AND ALERT AND WRITING NOTES AND MAKING JOKES TO HIS WIFE AND COWORKERS. SO OUR SPIRITS ARE HEAVILY LIFTED. WE ANTICIPATE THAT HE’S GOING TO MAKE A VERY STRONG RECOVERY. BUT TO WHAT DEGREE IS WHAT WE’RE BEING GUARDED AND CAREFUL ABOUT, WHICH TO THIS POINT WE’RE NOT AWARE OF THE LEVEL OF HIS EYE FUNCTION. AND BUT HE’S A VERY STRONG MAN WITH A VERY STRONG WILL. AND WE’RE CONFIDENT THAT HE’S GOING TO MAKE A STRONG RECOVERY AT THIS POINT. SO WE FEEL HE’S OUT OF THE WOODS AND WE JUST WANTED TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS THE BUSINESS PARTNERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, POLITICIANS. THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY OVERWHELMING. I CAN TELL YOU FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS I HAVE TWO CELL PHONES I’M CARRYING, AND I COULDN’T KEEP UP WITH EITHER ONE OF THEM. WITH THE AMOUNT OF CONTACT AND SUPPORT WE WERE RECEIVING. IF YOU NOTICE ON YOUR WAY IN HERE, THERE’S A BUNCH OF FOOD THAT WAS SENT BY PUBLIX AND MISSION BARBECUE. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ALWAYS STRONG SUPPORTERS. AND AGAIN, WE’RE JUST VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. IT’S LIFTED THE SPIRITS OF THE OFFICERS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION AND MADE THIS, THIS ENDEAVOR A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE FOR US. AND WE HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMED WITH QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA AS WELL. SO AT THIS POINT, I’D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, AND I’LL DO THE BEST I CAN TO ANSWER THEM AS ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE. SIR. HI, I’M KEITH BURBANK WITH TCPALM. THANK YOU. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU EXPECTED TO RETURN TO SERVICE. THAT’S TO BE DETERMINED. AND TO WHAT DEGREE AND WHAT LEVEL, AND THAT’S GOING TO DEPEND ON HIS RECOVERY AND ABSOLUTELY HOPEFUL THAT HE WILL. YOU SAID A COUPLE OF NIGHTS AGO THAT THIS YOUNG MAN, THIS 32 YEAR OLD GUNMAN, HAD BEEN USING STORE BOUGHT, SIMULATED MARIJUANA, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT PRODUCT HE WAS USING AND HOW THAT AFFECTED HIS BEHAVIOR? SO THAT WAS THE BEST INFORMATION I HAD AT THE TIME. I CAN CURRENTLY TELL YOU THAT HE HAD MEDICAL GRADE MARIJUANA THAT HE HAD IN HIS POSSESSION AT A FAIRLY LARGE QUANTITY, AND HIS MOTHER HAD REPORTED THAT HE’D BEEN USING IT FOR DAYS. SO HE HAD A MARIJUANA CARD. HE WAS. I DIDN’T SAY HE HAD THE MARIJUANA CARD. I JUST SAID HE WAS IN POSSESSION OF MEDICAL GRADE MARIJUANA. SO WHAT WAS HE DOING AT HOME THEN THAT MADE HIS MOTHER CALL THE POLICE AND SAY, I NEED AN OFFICERS TO RESPOND. SHE SAID HE WAS ACTING IRRATIONAL AND CRAZY AND ON YOUR RADAR IN THE PAST? NO, NEVER ON OUR RADAR. NO CALLS FOR SERVICE, NO HISTORY OF CONTACT WITH US OTHER THAN ONE TRAFFIC CITATION. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE DISTURBANCE WAS WITH THE NEIGHBORS? SO THAT WAS PRELIMINARY INFORMATION. BUT WHAT WE DID LEARN IS WE RECEIVED 2911 CALLS. THE FIRST ONE WAS FROM THE MOTHER REPORTING WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND THE SECOND WAS FROM A NEIGHBOR WHO CONTACTED HIM WHEN HE WAS OUTSIDE THE HOUSE. SUPPOSEDLY HE POINTED A RIFLE AT HER AND TOLD HER TO GO INSIDE HER HOME. AND SO SHE WAS THE SECOND 911 CALL. SO THAT WAS THE NEIGHBOR ASPECT. AND DO WE KNOW HOW HE GOT HIS HANDS ON THIS WEAPON? HE HE OWNS ABOUT 20 WEAPONS IN TOTAL. HE HAD A VERY LARGE, I’LL CALL IT, AN ARSENAL WITHIN HIS HOME. HE HAD TWO GUN SAFES FULL. HE HAD GAS MASKS, BALLISTIC VESTS, NONPERISHABLE SURVIVAL FOOD. HE, YOU KNOW, HE I WOULD CALL IT LIKE A SURVIVALIST TYPE EQUIPMENT. HE ALSO HAD A FLASHBANG. HE HAD LOOKED LIKE HE WAS READY IS ILLEGAL TO OWN, RIGHT. HE CAN’T HE’S NOT SUPPOSED TO OWN THE GUN THAT WAS USED BY THE NIGHT. I DON’T SEE ANYTHING THAT WOULD MAKE THAT GUN ILLEGAL TO BE OWNED. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE WEAPON A LITTLE MORE? I KNOW IT’S PART OF THE INVESTIGATION, BUT WHAT EXACTLY DID HE HAVE IN THAT MOMENT? AND AGAIN, YOU SAID IT DIDN’T LOOK LIKE IT WAS AN ILLEGAL WEAPON. IT LOOKED LIKE HE COULD HAVE OWNED THAT LEGALLY. IT’S NOT ILLEGAL TO OWN A RIFLE, A SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE. AND NO, IT’S NOT. IT’S AN AK 47. IT’S A ZASTAVA ARMS MODEL N, PAP, M70. AND IT’S IN 7.6239 CALIBER. ARE YOU GUYS AWARE IF HE WAS A LONG TERM RESIDENT OF PORT SAINT LUCIE? DID HE MOVE FROM ANOTHER PLACE? DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW LONG HE LIVED? WE DON’T HAVE A LOT ON HIS HISTORY AND WHERE HE CAME FROM OR HOW LONG HE’S BEEN HERE, BECAUSE WE WE’VE HAD NO PRIOR INTERACTIONS WITH HIM OF NOTE, BUT HE WAS LIVING WITH THE MOTHER. CORRECT. DO YOU HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD? NONE. NONE THAT WE COULD FIND THAT SHE DISCLOSED ANY MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES OR ANYTHING ALONG THAT NATURE? I MEAN, THAT WAS CERTAINLY OUR FIRST THOUGHT. BUT OTHER THAN HE WAS ACTING CRAZY THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, AND WHEN SHE CALLED 911, SHE SAID, HE’S ACTING CRAZY. PLEASE COME AND TAKE HIM AWAY. HE’S ARMED HIMSELF AND HE’S HE’S OUTSIDE WITH THE HUNTING RIFLE IS WHAT SHE SAID. SHE. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO FAMILY MEMBERS THAT EXPERIENCE THIS? BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT CURRENTLY THERE ARE A LOT OF STRESSORS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HOLIDAY, WHEN WE LOOK AT STATISTICS, WE ALL KNOW THAT AROUND TIMES OF THIS, THERE BECOMES A LOT OF STRESS. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO FAMILIES THAT ARE INCURRING WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS? WHAT WOULD BE THE AVENUES THAT THEY SHOULD REPORT TO YOU OR TO AGENCIES TO BE MORE DIRECT ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING? I THINK THE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I’D LIKE TO POINT OUT AT THIS POINT IS IF YOU DO HAVE SOME TYPE OF EMERGENCY GOING ON, THE MORE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE US AS WE’RE RESPONDING, THE BETTER WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE THAT SITUATION. AND IF WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE WALKING INTO, WE MIGHT TAKE THE WRONG APPROACH, RIGHT? SO THE BETTER INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDE US, THE MOST HONEST. TOO OFTEN, YOU KNOW, FAMILY MEMBERS WILL UNDERREPORT BECAUSE THEY DON’T WANT TO GET THEIR LOVED ONE IN TROUBLE. AND THAT COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS MIXTURE FOR BOTH US AND THE INDIVIDUAL WE’RE ENCOUNTERING. THE SENSITIVITY OF THIS NATURE WHEN WE GO BACK YEARS AND WE TALK ABOUT MORNINGSIDE AND THE REALITY THAT MANY OF YOUR OFFICERS FACED, AS WELL AS YOUR AGENCY, IS THIS BRINGING UP ANY OF OF OF JUST QUESTIONING ABOUT EXACTLY ABOUT REQUESTING MORE INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE WHEN THEY’RE REPORTING OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE MIGHT BE A CRISIS WITH SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT BE ACTING ERRATIC OR POTENTIALLY ENGAGE IN VIOLENT BEHAVIOR. LET ME POINT THIS OUT. SO WHEN THE 911 CALL CAME IN, THE OFFICERS JUST DIDN’T RANDOMLY SHOW UP AT THIS HOUSE. SERGEANT LEVASSEUR PICKED UP THE PHONE, PULLED OVER, CALLED THE MOTHER, HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HER, INTERVIEWED HER OVER THE PHONE, AND, YOU KNOW, EXTRACTED QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION AT THAT POINT. HE ORGANIZED THE RESPONDING OFFICERS UP THE BLOCK. HE EXPLAINED HOW THEY WERE GOING TO APPROACH THE HOME AND HOW THEY WERE GOING TO HANDLE THE SITUATION. THE OFFICERS WERE ONE DRIVING A PATROL VEHICLE, THE OTHER WAS ON FOOT FOLLOWING THE VEHICLE AS TO PROVIDE COVER. SERGEANT LEVASSEUR, THE LEADER THAT HE IS, TOOK POINT ONE UP. FIRST HE WAS IN FRONT OF THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE. THE INFORMATION THEY HAD WAS THAT HE WAS EITHER IN THE GARAGE OR IN THE YARD. THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO ENCOUNTER HIM. HOWEVER, THEY DID HEAR SHOTS FIRED AS THEY WERE APPROACHING. ANOTHER CALL CAME IN. REPORTING SHOTS HAD BEEN FIRED, SO THEY BELIEVE THEY WERE APPROACHING AN ACTIVE SHOOTING SITUATION. AND HOW ARE THOSE OFFICERS RESPONDED? HOW ARE THEY DOING? YOU’RE LISTENING TO POLICE CHIEF LEO NEMECEK WITH THE PORT SAINT LUCIE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH AN UPDATE ON SERGEANT ERIC LEVASSEUR. THE CHIEF SAYS LAST NIGHT HE DID HAVE SHRAPNEL REMOVED FROM HIS EYES, AND THE NEXT TWO DAYS HE WILL BE RETURNED TO LONGWOOD. HE IS AWARE, AND HE’S MORE ALERT THAN HE HAS BEEN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS. HE’S WRITING NOTES TO HIS WIFE, EVEN JOKING WITH HIS WIFE. SO THE CHIEF SAYS THEY ARE ENCOURAGED THAT HE IS GOING TO RECOVER FROM THIS TERRIBLE INCIDENT, IN WHICH HE WAS SHOT TWICE IN HIS FACE. WE ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE GUNMAN WHO DID HAVE MEDICAL GRADE MARIJUANA ON HIM. HE ALSO OWNED ABOUT 20 GUNS, ACCORDING TO THE POLICE CHIEF. AND HE HAD WHAT THE POLICE CHIEF DESCRIBED AS A SURVIVALIST MENTALITY. MUCH MORE ON THIS STORY COMING UP BEGINNING AT 4:00 THIS AFTERNOON. AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND COMPLETE AND TIMELY COVERAGE OF ALL OF OUR STORIES, INCLUDING AN INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF SERGEANT LEVASSEUR’S FORMER PARTNERS AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. RIGHT NOW ON WPBF.COM AND THE WPBF 25 NEWS APP. FOR NOW, WE’LL SEND IT BACK TO
Port St. Lucie sergeant shot twice in the face undergoes surgery
Updated: 4:14 PM EST Dec 4, 2025
Officials in Port St. Lucie are giving an update on an officer who was shot twice in the face while responding to a call for service. Port St. Lucie police Chief Leo Niemczyk said Sgt. Erik Levasseur has undergone surgery to remove shrapnel from his eyes. Department body camera footage shows officers taking cover behind a patrol vehicle as shots ring out.The video is from Monday night as officers were responding to a home on Lake Park Drive around 6 p.m. for a disturbance. Niemczyk said a mother called police to report that her son was abusing drugs and causing problems.Once at the scene, Niemczyk said officers were immediately met with the suspect, 32-year-old Frankie Salvatore Riccio, who was armed with an AK-47 loaded with 762 ammunition.”The officers carefully approached the scene. Sgt. Erik Levasseur, the leader that he is and a former SWAT operator, was in the lead approaching the residence. Suspect peered around from the garage door and fired at least two shots, immediately striking Sgt. Levasseur,” Niemczyk said.The chief said Riccio charged out of the garage toward officers who took cover behind a patrol vehicle.”He attempted to flank officers around a patrol car and opened fire on the remaining officers,” Niemczyk said.Officers returned fire, and Riccio died at the scene.Immediately following the incident, Levasseur was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Medical Center in Fort Pierce after sustaining two gunshot wounds to the face.”Once right beside his nose, and once right below that — appears that he avoided the brain, avoided his spinal cord, avoided any arteries, so he was very lucky in that regard. Definitely some divine intervention was with him last night,” Niemczyk said.At a press conference held early Tuesday morning, Niemczyk told reporters his team is remaining hopeful.”They are very grateful that Sgt. Levasseur survived to this point and that he’s still alive and that there is still significant hope, and there’s a lot of relief. That’s really it. Every officer who puts on this uniform every day understands that they could be in this situation, and there’s no promise that we’re going to come home alive at the end of the tour. So, we’re all grateful that we’re all alive and that the sergeant is alive right now,” he said. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is actively investigating the shooting, which is standard protocol for officer-involved shootings.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
Officials in Port St. Lucie are giving an update on an officer who was shot twice in the face while responding to a call for service.
Port St. Lucie police Chief Leo Niemczyk said Sgt. Erik Levasseur has undergone surgery to remove shrapnel from his eyes.
Department body camera footage shows officers taking cover behind a patrol vehicle as shots ring out.
The video is from Monday night as officers were responding to a home on Lake Park Drive around 6 p.m. for a disturbance. Niemczyk said a mother called police to report that her son was abusing drugs and causing problems.
Once at the scene, Niemczyk said officers were immediately met with the suspect, 32-year-old Frankie Salvatore Riccio, who was armed with an AK-47 loaded with 762 ammunition.
“The officers carefully approached the scene. Sgt. Erik Levasseur, the leader that he is and a former SWAT operator, was in the lead approaching the residence. Suspect peered around from the garage door and fired at least two shots, immediately striking Sgt. Levasseur,” Niemczyk said.
The chief said Riccio charged out of the garage toward officers who took cover behind a patrol vehicle.
“He attempted to flank officers around a patrol car and opened fire on the remaining officers,” Niemczyk said.
Officers returned fire, and Riccio died at the scene.
Immediately following the incident, Levasseur was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Medical Center in Fort Pierce after sustaining two gunshot wounds to the face.
“Once right beside his nose, and once right below that — appears that he avoided the brain, avoided his spinal cord, avoided any arteries, so he was very lucky in that regard. Definitely some divine intervention was with him last night,” Niemczyk said.
At a press conference held early Tuesday morning, Niemczyk told reporters his team is remaining hopeful.
“They are very grateful that Sgt. Levasseur survived to this point and that he’s still alive and that there is still significant hope, and there’s a lot of relief. That’s really it. Every officer who puts on this uniform every day understands that they could be in this situation, and there’s no promise that we’re going to come home alive at the end of the tour. So, we’re all grateful that we’re all alive and that the sergeant is alive right now,” he said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is actively investigating the shooting, which is standard protocol for officer-involved shootings.