{"id":68173,"date":"2025-12-02T16:54:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T16:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/68173\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T16:54:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T16:54:08","slug":"port-st-lucie-officer-shot-in-tradition-remains-in-critical-condition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/68173\/","title":{"rendered":"Port St. Lucie officer shot in Tradition remains in critical condition"},"content":{"rendered":"

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 A Port St. Lucie police sergeant is fighting for his life after being shot near the Town Park community in Tradition on Monday night<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD) said the shooting happened sometime after 6 p.m. on Monday on SW Lake Park Drive. Six officers responded to a home in the Town Park community in Tradition for a call for service. Police believe the call stemmed from a neighbor dispute that also involved a mental-health component.<\/p>\n

Police report that when officers arrived at the scene, they encountered a man armed with what appeared to be an AK-47 assault rifle. Shots were fired almost immediately, resulting in Sergeant Erik Levasseur being shot twice in the face \u2014 once beside his nose and once below it. Fortunately, the bullets did not hit his spine or any vital arteries. The suspect, later identified as Frankie Riccio, was shot and killed at the scene. It remains unclear who fired first.<\/p>\n

The shooting sparked an outpouring of support from law enforcement agencies and residents across the Treasure Coast.<\/p>\n

Sgt. Levasseur was rushed to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. The Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD) expressed hope for his recovery and gratitude for the overwhelming community response. \u201cHis strength inspires us all, and we stand firmly by him and his family in this trying time,\u201d the department said in a statement Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n

See also: Florida bids farewell to Sgt. Terri Sweeting-Mashkow in heartfelt memorial service<\/a><\/p>\n

Authorities have not released details about the suspect or motive, as the investigation continues. PSLPD praised the swift assistance from neighboring agencies, including the St. Lucie County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Martin County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Fort Pierce Police Department, Stuart Police Department, EMS teams, and dispatchers. \u201cYour unwavering dedication exemplifies true camaraderie,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n

Local businesses, including Mission BBQ, were also recognized for providing meals to officers and staff. \u201cYour support continues to lift us, demonstrating the power of a caring community,\u201d PSLPD added.<\/p>\n

As the city waits for updates on Sgt. Levasseur\u2019s condition, the department urged unity and resilience: \u201cStay strong, and thank you for being the backbone in these trying times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter <\/a>to get the day’s top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel <\/a>for the biggest stories and can’t miss video.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 A Port St. Lucie police sergeant is fighting for his life after…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68174,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[171,173,172],"class_list":{"0":"post-68173","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-port-st-lucie","8":"tag-port-st-lucie","9":"tag-port-st-lucie-headlines","10":"tag-port-st-lucie-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68173\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}