Lagatar24 Desk
Seattle/New York: A Seattle police officer has been dismissed from his position following outrage over his insensitive comments and laughter after the death of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula. The incident has drawn significant public attention and criticism.
Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave on January 23 while she was crossing a street. Officer Dave was traveling at 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) in response to a drug overdose call. The impact of the collision threw Kandula 100 feet.
The Seattle Police Department released bodycam footage showing Officer Daniel Auderer laughing about the fatal crash. Auderer remarked, “Uh, I think she went up on the hood, hit the windshield, and then when he hit the brakes, flew off the car… But she is dead.” The Disciplinary Action Report noted that Auderer “laughed hard for four seconds” after making these comments.
Interim Chief Sue Rahr addressed the incident in an internal email, acknowledging the pain caused to Kandula’s family by Auderer’s remarks. “The actions of this individual police officer have brought shame on the Seattle Police Department and our entire profession, making the job of every police officer more difficult,” Rahr stated.
Rahr emphasized her responsibility to uphold high standards within the organization to maintain public trust. “For me to allow the officer to remain on our force would only bring further dishonor to the entire department. For that reason, I am going to terminate his employment,” she wrote in the internal email, as seen by PTI.
This decision reflects the Seattle Police Department’s commitment to accountability and maintaining public confidence in law enforcement. The dismissal of Officer Auderer underscores the importance of professionalism and sensitivity, especially in situations involving loss of life.
