The New York Police Department says confusion surrounding a long-awaited arrest led officials to wrongly declare that an off-duty officer had been killed in a 1999 shooting in the Bronx.

A police spokeswoman said Monday that Officer Vincent Ling survived and has since retired. Commissioner James O�Neill tweeted Sunday that Ling had been killed.

Sgt. Jessica McRorie said in a statement that a misreading of the attempted murder charge on suspect Lester Pearson�s arrest warrant �led to the confusion about (Ling�s) death.�

Pearson was arrested Friday in Jacksonville, Florida. The New York Daily News heralded the development on its front page with the headline: �COP KILLER CAUGHT.�

It wasn�t clear if Pearson had a lawyer. Prosecutors said charging documents weren�t in a database because the case is old.

(AP)