A mum has blasted cops for using a GIF from the Top Gun movie to congratulate officers who identified her daughter after her tragic death. Azra Kemal died in July 2020 after falling 40ft to her death from the Medway Viaduct on the A21.
Azra had been looking for help after her car broke down and caught fire. Mum Nevres Kemal says her daughter had called her just minutes before the incident to tell her she was on her way home from a night with pals, reports the Mirror.
Paramedics battled to save Azra, whose tragic last words are believed to have been "please, don't let me die", but sadly they could not save her and she passed away from her injuries.
Kent Police were able to identify her body within 90 minutes of their arrival, after sending fingerprints to the force's 'fingerprint bureau'. They shared a self-congratulatory tweet about their swift work and the "wonders of modern technology" alongside a gif from Top Gun, where characters Maverick and Goose high-five.
The GIF also reads "Teamwork". Another tweet was shared praising the police drone work, using the hashtag "crackingbitofkit".
Azra's mum said the tweet was "horrendous", as she told Sky News : "I could not believe that professional police officers would high-five themselves and pat themselves on the back, on the back of my daughter's demise. It's more than insensitive. It's unacceptable. What is the mindset of people investigating crimes on our behalf?"
Reports revealed Azra died after falling through a void between two carriageways. She had climbed over the barriers in the dark in the belief that there was a central reservation in between.
Azra's family believe the investigation was wrapped up too quickly. Sky News reports that the man she was travelling with was released with no further action and the investigation was closed on the first day.
Kate Ellis, from the Centre for Women's Justice, who is supporting the family, said: "It strikes me that a murder investigation being opened and closed within 24 hours is not an adequate investigation.
"I think it's shocking that with an investigation ongoing, and in fact within a few hours of Nevres having been informed of her daughter's death, the police would brag about the expediency of their investigation or the impressiveness of their kit."
Kent Police conducted a standard post-mortem examination, and concluded that the death was not suspicious. An independent review of the investigation by Essex Police stated that it "may have been prudent" to release the suspect under investigation rather than close the case.
The review supported the idea of conducting a forensic post-mortem examination, stating: "The reason for this would be to capture a forensic level of detail at post-mortem which could assist in proving or disproving matters that were raised at a later time."
It added that "it would have avoided unanswered questions, by being able to negate any third-party involvement".
The mum added: "Do the job you are supposed to do. Look at the information, look at the leads, look at the timelines, look at the interviews, go back to the witnesses, because no one saw Azra die.
"There should be a uniform process. If there is a death and there's no witnesses to a death, everybody should have that right to a forensic autopsy."
Kent Police said its investigation was "full and thorough". A spokesperson told Sky News: "Officers determined there were no suspicious circumstances, and a man who had initially been arrested in connection with the incident was released without charge.
"A police investigation into the circumstances then continued for several months to assist an inquest by the coroner. The subsequent inquest into the death returned a verdict of misadventure.
"A complaint about the quality of the investigation was made to Kent Police in November 2020. This complaint was sent to an independent force to review, which concluded the service provided by Kent Police had been acceptable.
"In February 2022, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) received a request to carry out a further investigation into the complaint.
"In response, the IOPC concluded that the investigation into the complaint had been 'reasonable and proportionate' and that an acceptable service had been provided in respect of the criminal investigation into the woman's death. A request to review the complaint was not upheld."
Following a successful appeal through a judicial review, part of the IOPC investigation has been reopened. The tweets have since been removed, and the complaint is being reviewed by an independent police force.
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