HOUSTON (AP) _ A senior Houston firefighter has apologized for the noose-like rope found in his locker in February.
The find had set off accusations of racism within the department.
Capt. Keith Smith said during a news conference Monday that he was unaware of the rope as racist imagery, but he acknowledges the hurt it caused. He says the four-foot rope was a keepsake from the early days of his 20-year career.
NAACP officials appearing at the news conference said their investigation found the incident was a misunderstanding and that Smith was wrongly criticized. They recommend that a letter of reprimand issued to Smith be removed from his record.
The Houston Fire Department has recently come under fire for a series of incidents that have strained race relations in the 3,900-member department.