The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has finally issued an apology for mistakenly accusing 15-year-old Camden Lee of a fatal shooting during Brooklyn’s West Indian American Day Parade in September. 

Despite recognizing the mistake shortly after the incident, the department failed to publicly retract the false allegation for nearly five months, AP News reports.

In a statement released Sunday, NYPD Chief Spokesperson Delaney Kempner acknowledged the error: “The NYPD should have immediately corrected this misstatement. We apologize for the error and will continue to seek justice for the victims of this shooting.”  

The initial accusation led to severe repercussions for Lee and his family, including death threats that forced them into hiding. Lee’s mother, #CheeCheeBrock, expressed her dissatisfaction with the department’s delayed response: “This could’ve been done in September after we had the meeting. They don’t understand the damage that it caused.”  

Wylie Stecklow, the family’s attorney, criticized the NYPD’s handling of the situation, stating, “Even in their apology, they’re painting him with a brush of culpability to cover their mistake. They’re downplaying what they did…”  

The shooting at the parade resulted in the death of 25-year-old Denzel Chan and injuries to four others. The case remains unsolved, and the NYPD continues to seek information to identify the responsible parties.  

#Clique , what are your thoughts?