A policeman has shot the owner of a Heliopolis juice store in the leg after an argument over an illegally parked vehicle, according to officials.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the policeman engaged in an argument with the juice-store owner after noticing a vehicle carrying sugar cane parked outside his shop.
The policeman told the owner that the vehicle was blocking traffic, and the two men began to argue. According to eyewitnesses, the policeman refused to allow the vehicle to remain in position while the sugar cane was transferred to the store.
At some point, the policeman drew his weapon and shot the man in the leg, say investigators, although there is no indication of whether the shot was fired deliberately or accidentally.
Locals in the area detained the policeman and took him to the local police station, where he is being investigated over the incident.
The shooting follows a series of similar incidents, some fatal, in which police personnel have used their guns during arguments with civilians in the street. A rash of such incidents led to new rules within the Interior Ministry regarding the training of police personnel and their use of firearms.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
