NEW YORK CITY — Another high-ranking NYPD official has been stripped of his gun and badge amid a federal probe, DNAinfo New York learned Thursday.
Deputy Chief John Sprague, head of the Force Investigation Division that probes incidents where police use force, has been placed on modified duty, a law enforcement source said. Police Commissioner Bill Bratton promoted Sprague to the position in March.
Sprague formerly headed the 120th Precinct in Staten Island and the 66th Precinct in Brooklyn.
Late Thursday, the department issued a statement confirming Sprague "was placed on modified assignment and assigned to an administrative position in connection with the on-going joint investigation by the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office."
The move comes amid investigations into NYPD corruption and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s fundraising activities. Numerous NYPD officers have been placed on modified assignment, transferred or fired and two deputy chiefs who were under investigation retired on Wednesday.
► READ MORE: Who's Who in the Federal NYPD/City Hall Corruption Probe
But earlier Thursday, de Blasio said that he believed the public does not care about the probe.
"What matters is getting results for people and I think the the public is very smart," he said.
In a statement, Roy Richter, president of the NYPD Captains Endowment Association, said Sprague "will continue to cooperate with whatever administrative process the Department deems appropriate."
