Texas police apologies for officers leading black man by a rope

A black suspect was tied with a rope by two of officers riding on horseback last Saturday, Aug 3, 2019.[Screenshot taken from CBS news video]

The police chief of Galveston, Tex., has recently apologized to a suspect who was tied with a rope and led down the street by two officers on horseback, the New York Times reports.

Vernon L. Hale III apologized on Monday night after a photo emerged. "First and foremost, I must apologize to Mr. Neely for this unnecessary embarrassment," said Hale in a statement posted on the department's Facebook page.

The image was taken by an onlooker on Saturday and was shared on social media. It soon has gone viral and sparked outrage toward the Galveston Police Department, especially among African-American people.

Many pointed to the photo's symbolism, saying it harked back to slavery and the long history of racism and violence by whites against black people in the United States.

"Although this is a trained technique and best practice in some scenarios, I believe our officers showed poor judgment in this instance," said Hale.

But the chief's statement did not say if the officers faced disciplinary action.