South Yorkshire police chief constable David Crompton was suspended Wednesday for his response to the Hillsborough disaster of 1989 that cost 96 Liverpool supporters their lives.
Crompton's staff has been lambasted for its conduct during the inquest.
Tuesday's jury concluded that the victims had been unlawfully killed, and after 27 years of cover-up, the friends and families of those lost had some semblance of justice. Almost immediately, the South Yorkshire Police was again the target for its role in the collusion, with Crompton's quotes doing little to appease the deserved rage.
"I want to make absolutely clear that we unequivocally accept the verdict of unlawful killing and the wider findings reached by the jury in the Hillsborough inquests," Crompton said Tuesday on behalf of the region's police force.
That wasn't the first time Crompton showed remorse for his force's involvement in the matter. In 2012, he identified that "grave errors" made in by the South Yorkshire Police, saying, "I am profoundly sorry for the way the force failed."
Related: South Yorkshire police 'unequivocally accept' Hillsborough court ruling
The decision to suspend Crompton comes a day after unanimous pressure demanded more accountability from the South Yorkshire Police. Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham accused the force of prioritising its needs over the lives of the 96 Liverpool supporters who died that day, describing the police's leadership as "rotten to the core."
Speaking during a House of Commons session, Burnham added that there should be "no holding back" in bringing those responsible to justice, and that the police force requires "fundamental reform."
"Shamefully, the cover-up continued in this Warrington courtroom. Millions of pounds of public money were spent retelling discredited lies against Liverpool supporters," Burnham said.
"Lawyers for retired officers threw disgusting slurs around. Those for today's force tried to establish that others were responsible for the opening of the gate.
"If the police had chose to maintain its apology, this inquest would have been much shorter but they didn't and they put the families through hell once again."
Burnham wasn't the only Member of Parliament who spoke out against Crompton and the South Yorkshire Police's handling of the incident and subsequent cover-up.
Home Secretary Theresa May echoed Burnham's sentiments, saying, "That jury sat through 296 days of evidence and they were clear about the role of South Yorkshire Police officers.
"I hope that we will not see attempts to try and somehow suggest that those verdicts were not clear or in any way wrong."
The South Yorkshire Police has not commented on the suspension nor announced its terms.
