Veteran Fla. Police Sergeant Shot Twice During Neighbor Dispute Call

A veteran Florida police sergeant was shot twice in the face when a shootout erupted during mental health-related dispute Monday.

The shooting happened just after 6 p.m. when six Port St. Lucie police officers responded to a call about a conflict between neighbors that involved a mental health issues, WPTV-TV reports. When officers reached the scene, they were confronted by a 32-year-old man—identified as Frankie Salvatore Riccio—who was armed with a rifle.

Police used a cruiser's PA system to order Riccio to drop his weapon and surrender, but he refused to comply. Riccio then opened fire, kicking off a shootout with officers. 

Sgt. Erick LeVasseur, who is a 27-year veteran with the department and served as a road patrol supervisor, was struck twice in the face as Riccio tried to flank officers during the exchange of gunfire. Police returned fire as Riccio continued shooting, and the suspect was fatally struck.

Levasseur was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. He's currently in the intensive care unit.

No other offices were injured during the incident. The shooting is under investigation.