Seattle cop, who killed Indian student with patrol car, fired
What's the story
A Seattle police officer, Kevin Dave, has been fired after the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old Indian student. Kandula was struck by a patrol vehicle driven by Dave on January 23, 2023. At the time of the accident, Dave was responding to a drug overdose call and was driving at 119km/h. The impact threw Kandula 100 feet away and resulted in her death.
Policy violations
Officer violated 4 department policies: Report
Interim Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr announced Dave's dismissal after the Seattle Office of Police Accountability found that he had violated four department policies. Rahr stated, "I believe the officer did not intend to hurt anyone that night and that he was trying to get to a possible overdose victim as quickly as possible." However, she emphasized that "his positive intent does not mitigate the poor decision that caused the loss of human life."
Dismissal
Second officer dismissed for insensitive comments
The incident also resulted in the firing of another officer, Daniel Auderer, who made insensitive comments after Kandula's death. Bodycam footage showed Auderer laughing and saying, "Uh, I think she went up on the hood, hit the windshield... But she is dead." He went on to say Kandula's life had "limited value" and suggested writing a check for $11,000. Chief Rahr said his words caused "irreparable" harm and brought shame to the department.
Legal outcome
No criminal charges against dismissed officer
While the King County Prosecutor's Office chose not to file criminal charges against Dave, he was slapped with a $5,000 traffic infraction for negligent driving. Following Kandula's tragic death, Northeastern University posthumously awarded her a master's degree in honor of her accomplishments. The Consulate General of India in Seattle has been working to ensure justice for Kandula and is in touch with her family representatives.