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Disturbing images of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect have emerged the day after Rolling Stone magazine revealed the accused on its next cover, BBC reported.

Police Sgt Sean Murphy released photos of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev taken when he was captured in Watertown, Massachusetts.

The images, given to Boston magazine, show him with the red dot of a laser sight of a sniper rifle on his face.

A number of US retail chains said on Wednesday they would not stock the Rolling Stone edition.

A spokesman for state police said the release of the photos had not been authorised, and they would not be given to other news media.

The spokesman also said Sgt Murphy, a police photographer, was subject to an internal investigation.

A tweet from the author of the Boston Magazine article said Sgt Murphy had been "relieved of duty."

He reportedly released the contrasting images of Mr Tsarnaev as a response to the Rolling Stone cover.

The latest pictures show the "real Boston bomber, not someone fluffed and buffed for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine", Sgt Murphy said.

"These were real people, with real lives, with real families," he said in a statement. "And to have this cover dropped into Boston was hurtful to their memories and their families."

The pictures were taken when Mr Tsarnaev, wounded after a gunfight with police, was found hiding in a drydocked boat in a residential garden.

On Wednesday, Rolling Stone defended its decision to put Mr Tsarnaev on the cover, saying it was committed to serious, thoughtful coverage.

But two Massachusetts-based convenience store chains, Rockland and Tedeschi Food Shops, and national pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens, said they would not stock the edition.

An outpouring of angry comments appeared on social media networks saying the magazine cover was tasteless.

Three people were killed and more than 260 injured in the two explosions at the marathon finish line on 15 April.