PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – A Port St. Lucie police officer was shot Monday evening in the fast-growing Tradition community, triggering a heavy law-enforcement lockdown and a rush of emergency vehicles to the area near Tradition Parkway and Gatlin Boulevard.
Police confirmed the shooting shortly after it was reported around 6:30 p.m., but provided few details in the initial hours. The wounded officer was immediately transported by ground to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce. As of late Monday night, the department had not released the officer’s identity, condition, or the events that led to the gunfire.
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Witnesses described a chaotic scene as dozens of marked and unmarked units from multiple agencies flooded the intersection, blocking roads in all directions. A police helicopter circled overhead for hours while officers established a wide perimeter.
“I’ve never seen that many cops in one spot here,” said one resident who lives less than a mile away. “You could hear the sirens nonstop and then the chopper just kept circling.”
Authorities have not confirmed whether a suspect is in custody or still at large, and no description of any possible shooter has been released. The police department asked residents to avoid the entire Gatlin Boulevard and Tradition Parkway corridor “until
further notice” while detectives and crime-scene technicians process the area.
The shooting marks a rare incident of violence against law enforcement in Port St. Lucie, a city that has consistently ranked among Florida’s safest larger communities.
Additional information, including the officer’s condition and any arrests, is expected to be released Tuesday morning. The St.
Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement are assisting in the investigation.
Anyone with information or cellphone video from the area is urged to contact Port St. Lucie Police immediately.