Ecuadorean president apologizes after police rough up man accused of insulting him in public

Ecuador president says cops overreacted to insult

QUITO, Ecuador — The president of Ecuador is apologizing to a man who was roughed up by police after someone yelled insults at the leader.

President Rafael Correa said Thursday that he felt ashamed to see news photographs of the suspect being stuffed into a police truck with his face against the floor.

Someone hurled insults at Correa on Tuesday as he was driven through the southern coastal town of Machala. The president stopped the caravan and got out to personally look for the shouter.

Police forcefully detained Carlos Solano despite his insistence he was not responsible for the insults.

Correa says the police should be disciplined for their conduct and offered a personal apology to Solano and his family and friends.