Portland police Central Precinct

The Portland Police Bureau's Central Precinct is located in the Justice Center in downtown Portland.

(Maxine Bernstein/Staff)

Two Portland police captains have been placed on paid leave because of ongoing investigations that started last year under former Chief Larry O'Dea.

Kevin Modica of the Police Bureau's Youth Services Division and Derek Rodrigues of the Family Services Division were stripped of their guns and badges Wednesday afternoon, blocked from bureau email access and told to call in to the bureau's Personnel Division at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day.

Chief Mike Marshman informed the bureau of the move in an internal message provided to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

He wrote that two lieutenants have been appointed to serve in their places "until further notice."

"I understand that many of you have questions, but as with any internal personnel matter, I cannot share additional details at this time," Marshman wrote.

The move appears to be tied to a city Bureau of Human Resources investigation that began last year into an administrative assistant's complaint that O'Dea and other high-ranking police supervisors failed to report discriminatory remarks allegedly made to her by the Police Bureau's diversity manager, Elle Weatheroy.

The administrative assistant is of Pacific Islander descent. Weatheroy is African American.

Modica previously served as an assistant chief under O'Dea, and the administrative assistant who made the complaint had worked directly for Modica. Rodrigues was the captain of internal affairs under the former chief.

When Marshman was appointed chief, he transferred Rodrigues out of internal affairs and reassigned Modica. Both Rodrigues and Modica also were questioned by the city's Independent Police Review Division that has been investigating why no one at Police Bureau initiated an internal investigation into O'Dea's off-duty shooting of a friend.

Constantin Severe, director of the Independent Review Division, said the investigation into the handling of O'Dea's shooting hasn't been completed. He said he didn't know why Rodrigues and Modica were placed on leave.

Weatheroy, who formerly worked in the chief's office, remains diversity manager but her desk was moved out of the chief's office.

Sgt. Pete Simpson, a Portland police spokesman, said he couldn't comment about the investigations.

O'Dea retired last year during investigations into his off-duty shooting of a friend during a camping trip in eastern Oregon.

KOIN-TV first reported on the reassignments Thursday afternoon.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Maxine Bernstein of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report