20110604
Reuters
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians protesting the death of a 40-year old Egyptian driver who they say was killed in police custody set a police station in central Cairo on fire, witnesses and security sources said on Friday.



Mohamed Said, 40 years old, clashed with a police officer outside a downtown Cairo station and was taken inside with 13 other mini-bus drivers for parking violations.

Said died later on Friday, witnesses and security sources said. It is not clear what caused his death.

Said's family accused police of torturing him and gathered around the station in protest, asking to see the body. The crowd of about 200, primarily family members and other drivers, who have a history of clashing with police officers for holding invalid licences, then broke into the station and set it ablaze.

The fire was later put out. Witnesses said crowds also set a police car on fire.

Security sources denied any foul play and said Said seemed to have collapsed because of low blood pressure. His body had been transferred to the morgue for an autopsy. The interior ministry said it was investigating the incident.

Police fired rounds of tear gas and shots into the air to disperse the crowd. The military, which is now ruling Egypt, also arrived at the scene to break-up the clashes.

The credibility of Egypt's police, who routinely took bribes and used brutal tactics criticised by the opposition, was shattered over its use of excessive force against anti-government protesters who toppled President Hosni Mubarak.