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GREENSBORO - A third police officer was suspended with pay last week as internal investigators wind down their review of a disbanded squad accused of targeting black patrolmen for unfair investigation, city officials said Monday.

Sgt. Tom Fox once supervised the former Special Intelligence Section. Nicknamed the "secret police" by rank and file, the unit for years investigated a black lieutenant cleared several times by the department's own Internal Affairs office of allegations including prostitution and possible drug dealing.

Fox could not be reached for comment.

According to a confidential city report, Special Intelligence was also found to have investigated other black officers for allegations during former Chief David Wray's administration. No charges were filed, and Internal Affairs had no knowledge of the group's activities.

Officer Scott Sanders, a Special Intelligence detective under Fox, was suspended earlier this month. Assistant Chief Annie Stevenson was suspended the same week, though the report did not implicate her with Special Intelligence.

The report said, she changed internal investigative findings for a white female officer at the direction of former Deputy Chief Randall Brady. That officer was married to one of Wray's friends.

State personnel law prohibits the city from releasing why employees are disciplined, or even the specifics of those punishments. The city is required, however, to confirm the last action taken against an employee - such as termination, suspension with or without pay, and hiring - but nothing more.

Wray resigned in early January after he was confronted by City Manager Mitchell Johnson about the report. Interim Chief Tim Bellamy declined to comment Monday on the recent discipline, other than to say the internal administrative investigation is nearing completion.

"We're getting close to the end," he said. "I can't give a date, but we're getting close."

Contact Eric J.S. Townsend at 373-7008 or etownsend@news-record.com