New York Police Official Stripped of Badge Amid Corruption Inquiry
A
senior police official was stripped of his gun and badge and placed on
modified duty on Thursday in connection with a broad federal inquiry
into municipal corruption, the New York Police Department announced.
The
official, Deputy Chief John Sprague, 45, was disciplined after he
indicated that he would refuse to answer questions before a federal
grand jury.
Chief
Sprague, who has been at the department for 25 years, according to a
police spokeswoman, had recently taken charge of the Force Investigation
Division, a newly formed unit with a mission to investigate the use of
deadly force by police officers.
He joins a number of other police officials who have been disciplined after refusing to answer questions in relation to the inquiry.
“On
the advice of counsel, Deputy Chief Sprague has relied upon his
constitutional right as a citizen of the United States,” Roy T. Richter,
the president of the Captains Endowment Association, the union that
represents Chief Sprague, said in a statement.
“The chief will continue to cooperate with whatever administrative process the department deems appropriate,” he added.
Chief
Sprague’s lawyer, Michael Farkas, said that as “a dedicated public
official who has served the people of this city for many years,” his
client “intends to answer all questions put to him by the Police
Department during its investigation.”
The
inquiry is being led by federal authorities and conducted with the help
of the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Its focus is two businessmen
who are tied to Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, and their attempts to
cultivate a network of municipal contacts, including police officials.