A microbus driver was shot dead by a non-commissioned police officer early on Monday, causing uproar among microbus drivers in the Maadi district of Cairo.
Witnesses told Daily News Egypt that the deceased driver had refused to operate in the Maadi area and staged a strike, causing a traffic jam and congestion at two of the Maadi metro stations.
The Ministry of Interior provided a different narrative, saying that the officer, who belongs to the Basateen police station, received a report of a brawl between the victim and another microbus driver.
“The officer fired a warning shot by mistake, hitting the driver in the neck, resulting in his death,” read the statement released on Monday.
According to witnesses, the driver reportedly refused to give the officer a ride for a “work errand”, leading to an argument during which the driver was shot in the head.
The victim’s body arrived at the Zinehom mortuary, where an autopsy took place and a preliminary report was sent to the prosecution.
The prosecution said that it will investigate the incident, and will order the suspect to be detained.
This is not the first time a police officer has shot a driver dead due to an argument. In February, a police officer deliberately killed a driver over an argument about the taxi fare.
Since the beginning of 2016, there has been a string of cases of police abuse. However, the Ministry of Interior has repeatedly denied accusations of systematic and widespread abuses of state power.
