The NYPD made a major mistake, falsely identifying 15-year-old Camden Lee as the suspect in a deadly Brooklyn parade shooting. Despite admitting their error behind closed doors, they’ve done little to fix the damage—leaving Camden and his family to deal with the fallout.
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Wrong Place, Wrong Time—Now He’s A “Murder Suspect”
How do you even see this coming?
According to the Associated Press (AP), Camden was leaving high school football practice in September when he stopped by the West Indian American Day Parade with a teammate. Minutes later, gunfire erupted, leaving his friend with a grazed shoulder wound.
The NYPD later released a surveillance photo of Camden standing alone on the street, falsely claiming he discharged a firearm, killing one person and injuring four others.
Lee described the traumatic event as super quick and blurry.
“I see the NYPD logo. I see me. I see ‘suspect wanted for murder.’ I couldn’t believe what was happening. Then everything went blurry,” said Camden Lee.
How scary.
Almost immediately after meeting with Camden’s lawyer, police backed off, admitting their mistake, and quietly removed the image from their Instagram and X (Twitter) accounts.
But here’s the kicker—they never made a public statement clearing his name.
This means Camden’s photo kept spreading, plastered across news broadcasts and crime blogs, while social media trolls sent him death threats.
A Mother’s Pain—And A Demand For Accountability
Camden’s mother, Chee Chee Brock, has been fighting for an official retraction from the NYPD, but her pleas have been ignored.
“I used to have a lot of trust in the NYPD and how they do things. But I raised my kids to admit when they made a mistake. If you can blame an innocent kid for murder, what else can you get away with?” said Brock to AP.
The mistake forced her to move Camden and his two sisters out of Brooklyn, fearing for their safety from gang retaliation. Even after returning home, Camden is not allowed to go anywhere alone—not even the corner store.
Legal Experts Call Out The NYPD’s Recklessness
Camden’s lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, is calling out the NYPD, detailing this arrest as irresponsible and sloppy police work.
“They conceded they got it wrong. But these officers were so cavalier about it. It was like they were playing a game with a kid’s life,” said Montgomery to AP.
This isn’t an isolated case—the NYPD has a history of false identifications and social media mishaps. In a recent report, the NYC Department of Investigation slammed NYPD leadership for “irresponsible and unprofessional” use of social media.
Camden Struggles To Rebuild His Life
Now 16 years old, Camden is still facing the consequences of the NYPD’s reckless accusation.
“It takes me to a dark place. I don’t feel like myself anymore. I don’t have the opportunity to explain my side of the story. Everyone is so fixed on this one image of me: murderer,” said Lee.
His mother wants justice, and civil rights attorney Wylie Stecklow says the NYPD needs to answer for their mistake.
“There’s tremendous pressure on the NYPD to serve up results in a high-profile shooting like this. The fact that they’ve failed to explain how this mistake was made, and how they’ll avoid it in the future, is deeply troubling,” said Stecklow.
So far, the NYPD has refused to comment, and Camden’s family is now weighing a lawsuit. But one thing is clear—his life will never be the same.
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