A sergeant with the Port St. Lucie Police Department was injured in a shooting Monday evening while investigating a neighbor dispute, authorities confirmed.
Police identified the injured officer as 27-year-old Erik Levasseur. According to Port St. Lucie Police Department officials, Levasseur was shot around 6 p.m. while investigating a reported disturbance related to a disturbance call. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and underwent surgery later that evening.
Port St. Lucie Police Chief Leo Niemczyk briefed reporters during a news conference, stating that six officers had initially responded to the scene following what began as a neighbor dispute involving a mental health call. When officers arrived, the chief said they encountered a suspect holding an assault rifle. Niemczyk said the suspect shot Sgt. Levasseur in the face.
The suspect was killed in the exchange of gunfire that followed, Chief Niemczyk said, confirming that no other officers were injured. He added that investigators were still actively processing the scene but emphasized that there was no threat to the community, noting that law enforcement had secured the area.
Levasseur is expected to be okay, and the chief expressed optimism about his recovery.
“At this time, we’re just asking for prayers,” Niemczyk said. “As you can see, I’ve got tremendous support from our law enforcement community, and I can’t thank them enough for that. And at this point all we really need from the community is their support and their prayers.”
The Port St. Lucie Police Department confirmed investigators were still working to determine the circumstances surrounding the disturbance and the shooting.
