PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Police have released body camera footage from the officer-involved shooting that left a suspect dead and a longtime Port St. Lucie sergeant critically injured.
The shooting happened shortly after 6 p.m. Monday in the 11000 block of SW Lake Park Drive, where six officers responded to a call involving 32-year-old Frankie Salvatore Riccio. According to police, Riccio’s mother had reported concerns about his behavior, saying he had been abusing marijuana for the last 24 hours and had armed himself with a hunting rifle prior to the encounter.
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Body camera footage captures multiple gunshots as officers approached the home in the Tradition neighborhood. Police say Riccio confronted them with an AK-47 and ignored repeated commands before opening fire. Sgt. Erik LeVasseur, a 27-year veteran of the department and former SWAT member, was struck twice in the face.
“At that point, he charged out, attempted to flank officers around a patrol car and opened fire on the remaining officers. Fire was returned. Suspect was deceased at that scene as a result,” Port St. Lucie Police Chief Leo Niemczyk said.
The video shows officers returning fire and moving toward Riccio, who died from his injuries.
Chief Niemczyk later described the situation as “clearly an isolated incident with a person in a mental health crisis.”
Residents in the area expressed shock and concern after learning details of the incident.
“It’s absolutely terrible. There are so many police officers getting attacked—killed. I think it’s awful,” resident Mary Ellen Roth said. Her husband, Jack Hohman, added, “You know, they're just doing their job, protecting, you know, the citizens. And it's a shame that this is going on like this.”
LeVasseur was transported to HCA Florida Lawnwood Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition.
“His prognosis at this time, we're very hopeful that he'll make a recovery. He's got some complications that he's got to manage and deal with,” Niemczyk said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, and police say details leading up to the gunfire are still being reviewed. Following department protocol, four officers have been placed on administrative leave.
Portions of this story were assisted by artificial intelligence tools and reviewed by a WPTV journalist to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to editorial standards.
