Arpaio fires No. 2 official at sheriff's office:

Apr. 22, 2011 8:24 PM ET

PHOENIX (AP) — The No. 2 official at the Maricopa County sheriff's office and another top aide to Sheriff Joe Arpaio were fired Friday after a six-month investigation into alleged misconduct at the police agency.

The terminations of Chief Deputy David Hendershott and Deputy Chief Larry Black are effective May 5. They were first reported by The Arizona Republic.

The firings arose from an administrative investigation of Hendershott, Black and Capt. Joel Fox, according to the termination letters. Fox remains on paid administrative leave.

Prosecutors investigating abuse-of-power allegations against the sheriff's office have subpoenaed the report of the investigation.

The administrative investigation was prompted by a memo from Deputy Chief Frank Munnell. It alleged that Hendershott created a hostile work environment for sheriff's employees and that the three attempted to tamper with witnesses and destroy evidence in a state attorney general's probe of a group that funded an attack ad against one of Arpaio's political opponents in 2008.

Hendershott didn't return a phone call from The Associated Press. There was no answer to a call to Black's home.

The sheriff's office, which hasn't released the 1,022-page report, said a decision will be made on Fox's status in the near future.

Associated Press

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