Authorities crowed Sunday that they had finally busted a fugitive for killing an NYPD cop in 1999 — but it turns out the former officer is alive.

“Yeah, I know, we’re putting something out on that,’’ a sheepish police rep told The Post on Monday about the case of nabbed suspect Lester Pearson and the officer he shot in the Bronx, Vincent Ling.

US marshals had said Sunday that Pearson, who was caught in Florida on Friday, was arrested for shooting Ling 20 years ago during a dispute over the suspect dating the cop’s sister.

Ling was left paralyzed by the bullet — and eventually died, according to NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill in a tweet Sunday.

“Thanks to @JSOPIO & @USMarshalsGov for capturing the career criminal who killed off-duty #NYPD Officer Vincent Ling in 1999,” O’Neill wrote.

Ling, now 47, is actually alive, the department acknowledged Monday.

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