Police Apologize After Crime Scene Selfie Causes Uproar

A London police department came under fire Thursday after two officers reportedly snapped a photo of themselves at a crime scene where a man was found stabbed to death.

Two policemen from Newham in East London took a photo together at the Stratford Centre mall where Beniamin Pieknyi, 20, was found dead Wednesday night, the Evening Standard reported. The unnamed officers responded to a 9:30 p.m. call regarding a "disturbance" at the shopping center.

The photo, which has since been removed from Twitter, bared the caption: "Crime scene at Stratford mall today." The tweet also sparked outrage from the online community. The backlash prompted the Forest Gate North police department to issue an apology.

"We apologize for any offense caused by the 'selfie' picture that was posted from the scene of a serious crime this morning," the tweet read. "The officers showed a lack of judgment and sensitivity in posting this and they will be spoken to and reminded of how to use social media responsibly."

The controversial tweet comes amid a string of killings that have occurred in the London area. Eight people have either been fatally stabbed or shot since last Wednesday.

No arrests have been made in connection with Pieknyi’s death. First responders pronounced the man dead at the scene at 10.30pm, according to the Evening Standard. The victim reportedly died in his friend's arms after being attacked by a gang at the mall.

Ion Robert, who claimed to be Pieknyi's friend, told the publication that the victim was "really kind, and always trying to help everybody".

"He gave his life to save his friend… He died in the arms of his best friend," Robert said. "These guys were trying to attack his friend and he intervened – he was trying to save his friend’s life."