Egyptians protest after policeman kills taxi driver

CAIRO (AP) - Disgruntled Egyptians beat up a policeman, blocked roads, and surrounded the local security headquarters after the officer killed a taxi driver in a dispute.

Egypt's Interior Ministry media office said in a statement that the killing took place Thursday night following an argument over the sergeant's fare in Cairo's populous el-Darb el-Ahmar district. In the course of the dispute, the officer shot and killed the driver.

A second Interior Ministry statement called the shooting a "mistake."

Videos posted by the el-Masry el-Youm news website showed tearful residents displaying bloodstained sections of cardboard and saying the officer had verbally insulted the driver and when the latter objected, the policeman shot the driver in the head.

Egypt state-run news agency said the policeman was arrested.