PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A 27-year veteran of the Port St. Lucie Police Department remains in critical condition after being shot in the face Monday night, and doctors say he will soon need to be transferred for a highly specialized surgery.
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Police say Sgt. Erik Levasseur has undergone a second surgery to repair facial injuries, has a wired jaw, and now relies on a tracheotomy. He remains in a medically induced coma. Doctors have confirmed shrapnel in his retina, requiring a special team of expert surgeons, and preparations are underway to transfer him to a specialized hospital.
Port St. Lucie Police Headquarters, usually illuminated in blue light, carries a deeper meaning tonight as the department continues to support one of its own who is “still fighting the good fight.”
On Monday night, Sgt. Levasseur and five other officers responded to a neighbor dispute in a gated Tradition neighborhood. They were met by gunfire.
Body-worn camera video captured officers calling out to Levasseur after he was struck.
Police say Sgt. Levasseur was shot twice in the face by an AK-style rifle.
Joe Edge, who has known Sgt. Levasseur for decades — even doing his taxes — says his family’s connection to Levasseur runs deep. Edge’s wife is a former Port St. Lucie officer who served with him.
“I've known Eric better part of 25 years,” Edge said. “It's no surprise that he was probably the first one there, so he's just, just all around good guy.”
Edge reflected on a 2012 photo of Sgt. Levasseur wearing a shirt honoring their mutual friend, Tommy Worthington, a St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office deputy who died from an autoimmune disease in 2012.
“He and Eric were very close,” Edge said.
Now, Edge says Levasseur needs the same support he once showed others.
“Just say prayers. You know, it's, it's just say a lot of prayers,” he said. “It's going to be a long years of him getting better, but he'll look back at this and be thankful for the support that he's getting.”
