Democratic Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley apologized on Thursday for issuing a proclamation honoring a man who ambushed and killed a police officer.
The proclamation was approved by a new staffer and has since been retracted, CBS News reported.
The mayor's office issued a proclamation designating June 1 "Tre Day," in honor of Trepierre Hummons. Hummons shot and killed Officer Sonny Kim in 2015 before being gunned down by another officer. Police officers described the incident as "suicide by cop."
The mayor's office said the proclamation request came from Ronald Hummons, Trepierre's father. The proposal did not give his son's full name and framed his death as a mental health issue.
The mayor's communications director told CBS affiliate WKRC that she approved the proclamation using a stamp of the mayor's signature to "raise awareness of mental illness and child abuse."
Cranley personally apologized to Kim's widow for the error. He also visited the local Fraternal Order of Police to apologize to the police force.
"This was a huge mistake. It [was not] done intentionally. It was human error, but the buck stops with me," Cranley said tearfully.
Cranley's timing couldn't have been any worse: the mayor, who is up for reelection, was scheduled to speak at the Cincinnati Police Memorial Ceremony the following morning.