South Yorkshire Police have suspended chief constable David Crompton over his response to Hillsborough.
The news comes after the families of 22 victims killed in the 1989 tragedy called for him to be sacked yesterday.
In February 2013, Crompton was forced to apologise for accusing Hillsborough campaigners of lying in an email.
He wrote: “One thing is certain – the Hillsborough Campaign for Justice will be doing their version… in fact their version of certain events has become ‘the truth even though it isn’t’.”
Mr Crompton announced in March that he will be retiring in November.
Speaking after the verdicts yesterday, the police chief read out a statement of apology.
“On 15 April 1989, South Yorkshire police got the policing of the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough catastrophically wrong,” said Crompton.
“It was, and still is, the biggest disaster in British sporting history. That day, 96 people died and the lives of many others were changed forever. The force failed the victims and failed their families.
“Today, as I have said before, I want to apologise unreservedly to the families and all those affected.”