Port St. Lucie Police Department Sergeant shot in face during call, suspect dead
(December 2, 2025) A sergeant with the Port St. Lucie Police Department was seriously wounded Monday evening after being shot in the face while responding to a call in the gated “Town Park” community in the Tradition neighborhood. The suspect — an armed male — was killed after officers exchanged fire, according to WFTV.
The injured officer has been identified as 27-year department veteran Erik LeVasseur. He was one of six officers dispatched around 6 p.m. that responded to a neighbor dispute described by law enforcement as relating to mental-health concerns.
According to the police, when officers arrived at a home in the 11000 block of SW Lake Park Drive, they were met by an adult male suspect holding what appeared to be an AK-47–style assault rifle.
The suspect ignored repeated commands — even after officers made announcements over the patrol vehicle’s public address system — then opened fire. In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, LeVasseur was struck twice in the face. The suspect repositioned himself and fired again before officers returned fire and fatally wounded him. ~ WFTS
The gunman was identified by Tampa Bay 28 and law enforcement officials as Frankie Salvatore Riccio, 32.
After the shooting, LeVasseur was rushed to HCA Florida Lawnwood Medical Center. He underwent surgery Monday night and is now in the Intensive Care Unit on a ventilator. Authorities say his condition is serious but stable, and they remain “very optimistic” about his recovery.
During a press conference outside the hospital, Police Chief Leo Niemczyk urged all residents to keep LeVasseur in their thoughts. “This is the notification you dread every day,” the chief said. ~ WPLG Local 10
Fortunately, none of the other officers present during the shooting were physically injured, although two were trainees and at least a few were reportedly transported to the hospital as a precaution, according to WPBF.
Police say that Riccio ignored several verbal commands before firing. He appeared at the scene holding an assault-rifle and was described as armed with a “AK-47 type rifle.” After officers returned fire, Riccio was killed at the scene.
Shortly after the news of the shooting spread, local law-enforcement rallied around the wounded sergeant. The chief of police thanked law-enforcement partners from surrounding agencies who responded and asked the public for support and prayers. Members of the community in Tradition and across Port St. Lucie expressed shock and grief, as the normally quiet neighborhood was the scene of a dramatic and deadly shooting. For many residents, the realization that such violence happened close to home was jarring.
It remains unclear what triggered the call for service, beyond the early characterization of the incident being described as a “mental-health–related neighbor dispute.”
Everyone at Ace News Today
is wishing Sgt. LeVasseur a complete and speedy recovery!
Related: Also see:
- U.S. joins West Virginia in mourning after DC shooting leaves one Guard Member dead, another fighting for life
- (Updates) End of Watch: IRCSO Deputy Terri Sweeting-Mashkow, killed in the line of duty
For more on the Sergeant’s shooting, see the video below.
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Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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