Police: SC trooper gave officer the finger

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Authorities say a South Carolina trooper has been fired after he was arrested for disorderly conduct for giving the middle finger to a Columbia police officer in a parking lot after a concert.

The Department of Public Safety said 38-year-old Highway Patrol Cpl. Eric Sox of Orangeburg was suspended Saturday and fired on Monday. He had been a trooper for 12 years.

Columbia police say Sox was being loud and disorderly Friday night in the Colonial Life Arena parking lot after a concert and flipped off an officer who asked him to move.

Police say Sox was unsteady on his feet and was slurring his words.

A message left at a phone listing for Cox was not returned.