ANDERSON, S.C. (AP / FOX Carolina) -- A police officer in South Carolina thinks he was fired because he wrote a speeding ticket to Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney.
Former Pickens officer Michael McClatchy said Thursday he thinks city leaders in the community 20 miles from Clemson were angry he didn't let the coach go when he clocked him going 63 mph in a 35 mph zone on Sept. 3.
City officials have said that McClatchy was fired because he used a police department computer to post his version of events on a message board for South Carolina fans.
In a release issued on Sept. 24, city officials said McClatchy was not fired for "for conduct related to the issuance of the citation" but was fired for "engaging in private activity on company time on company equipment," according to FOX Carolina.
McClatchy says he made the post from home and only used a city computer to make a minor grammatical correction two days later.
McClatchy's lawyer is University of South Carolina trustee Chuck Allen.
Swinney paid a reduced fine.
(The Associated Press and FOX Carolina contributed to this report.)
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