Update: Policeman beaten, hospitalized after shooting driver dead in Darb al-Ahmar

A policeman who killed a young man in the Cairo suburb of Darb al-Ahmar has been referred to hospital under police custody, an Interior Ministry statement said early on Friday.

The incident occurred on Thursday night, when the policeman shot 24-year-old driver Mohamed Sayed — known in the area as Darbaka — through the head, killing him. The shooting took place after an argument between Sayed and the policeman developed into a scuffle, in which the young man’s relatives became involved.

According to the ministry statement, the policeman fired a round from his pistol in order to control the crowd, but he hit the victim in the head.

The statement added that the angry relatives and friends of the victim beat the policeman heavily, leaving him with severe injuries, including fractures and internal bleeding. The injured policeman was taken to hospital ahead of investigations into the incident.

The Interior Ministry said that the family of the slain driver has been invited to follow-up on the progress of the investigation.

After the incident on Thursday night, thousands of residents of Darb al-Ahmar surrounded the Cairo Security Directorate. Security forces patrolled the area but didn't attempt to disperse the angry residents, who chanted anti-government slogans.

One man interviewed at the scene, Mohamed Samir, told Mada Masr that he witnessed the incident, which he says started as an argument between the policeman, his companion and Sayed over the fee for moving items in his car. The account matched with those of other eyewitnesses who spoke to journalist Ahmed Khair Eddin.

During the scuffle, the policeman, who was in civilian clothing, explained that he was a police officer, according to Samir.

“He took out his weapon and loaded it. We intervened to restrain him and tried to break up the fight, but he was able to break loose and immediately shot him in the head,” Samir recounted.

Workers at the Ahmed Maher Hospital where Sayed was taken told Khair Eddin that the young man was shot in the head and the bullet exited the other side.

Another local resident, Fadel Ibrahim, said he arrived on the scene shortly after Sayed's death and saw neighbors taking the policeman and his companion to a nearby shop for protection.

However, other residents broke into the shop and started severely beating the two men, according to Fadel. He added that he saw the policeman facedown, immobile and bleeding heavily, while his companion was still conscious. 

A security source said the policeman killed Sayed by mistake as he attempted to break up a fight in the area, according to the state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram. 

In an attempt to contain local anger, the head of the Cairo Security Directorate met with Sayed's sister to pay his condolences.

There have been several incidents of excessive police violence in recent months. An attack on two doctors at the Matareya Hospital sparked an ongoing protest movement, with doctors threatening a nationwide strike if the offending police officers aren't brought to justice