FORT PIERCE – A contingent of law enforcement agencies escorted Sgt. Erik LaVasseur, recuperating from surgery to both eyes following a shooting incident on Dec. 1, to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital on Dec. 5.

LaVasseur, 55, had undergone surgery at a trauma center to remove shrapnel from both eyes on Dec. 3. Police have not confirmed the location of the surgery, but other reports have it as Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

Agencies which escorted LaVasseur to Lawnwood were Port St. Lucie Police; St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office; Florida Highway Patrol; Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office; Broward County Sheriff’s Office; and Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

LaVasseur, a 27-year Port St. Lucie Police officer, was shot twice in the face during an incident on Dec. 1 at about 6:08 p.m., in the 11000 block of Southwest Lake Park Drive in the gated Tradition community.

The 27-year veteran of PSL police was shot by Frankie Salvatore Riccio, 32, who subsequently was killed by gunfire from four Port St. Lucie police officers.

At a press conference on Dec. 4, Chief Leo Niemczyk said that he was very encouraged about LaVasseur’s “very strong recovery” process. “He is a very strong man with a very strong will,” Niemczyk said at the press conference.

Niemczyk also said that doctors are not sure about the extent of damage to LaVasseur’s eyes from the shrapnel.

LaVasseur was among six Port St. Lucie officers who responded to two 911 calls regarding Riccio.

One was from Riccio’s mother who said that Riccio was behaving erratically for a couple of days and that she wanted him removed from the home.

Another was from a neighbor who claimed Riccio pointed a gun at her and told her to go back inside her house.

It was subsequently learned that Riccio, who was living at the house in the gated community of Tradition, was smoking medical grade marijuana and had collected an arsenal of weapons, as well as gas masks, ballistic vest, non-perishable survival food and a flashbang or stun grenade, Niemcyzk said.

No other injuries were reported and one officer did not shoot, Niemcyzk said.

It is not certain how long LaVasseur will be at Lawnwood.