After more than a month of treatment and multiple surgeries, Port St. Lucie police Sgt. Erik Levasseur was released from the hospital Tuesday, marking a milestone in his recovery after being critically wounded in the line of duty.
Levasseur left HCA Florida Lawnwood Medical Center in Fort Pierce on Jan. 7, 37 days after he was shot twice in the face while responding to a reported disturbance Dec. 1 in the 11000 block of Southwest Lake Park Drive, police said.
Officers encountered a man armed with a rifle who ignored commands and began firing, according to the department. The suspect was later killed at the scene.
In a tender moment captured by the Port St. Lucie Police Department, Levasseur walked out of the hospital in uniform, standing beside his wife as fellow officers and medical staff lined the halls to mark his departure. The department said he had undergone multiple surgeries during his stay.
Police credited doctors, nurses and medical professionals at Lawnwood and other facilities for their role in his care, along with dispatchers, emergency responders, fellow officers and community members who supported Levasseur and his family throughout the ordeal.
Likewise, City Manager Jesus Merejo said the city is very grateful to those who helped Levasseur come home and are ecstatic about his recovery.
"All of us at the City of Port St. Lucie are incredibly grateful, relieved and inspired to see Sgt. Levasseur walking out of the hospital with his family. We give our deepest thanks to the first responders, medical providers, local and state officials whose collaboration and commitment helped make this day possible. We are also deeply appreciative to this community for rallying around Sgt. Levasseur and our entire Police Department during this challenging time,” he said.
The department also shared a quieter scene from Levasseur’s final days in the hospital; A moment between the sergeant and his wife in his room before he left for home. In the photo, the couple sits together, hand in hand, in what the department described as a brief pause amid the constant activity of medical care.
Levasseur was initially treated at Lawnwood before being transferred to a rehabilitation facility as his condition improved. His release from the hospital signals the next phase of his recovery, police said, as he continues healing after the Dec. 1 shooting.