In a significant development, a Seattle police officer who killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula in January 2023 when the patrol vehicle he was driving struck her, has been fired from the police department, officials said.
Officer Kevin Dave was dismissed for policy violations after driving at 74 mph, leading to the tragic death of Jaahnavi Kandula; another officer was also terminated for insensitive remarks.
In a significant development, a Seattle police officer who killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula in January 2023 when the patrol vehicle he was driving struck her, has been fired from the police department, officials said.
Kandula, 23, from Andhra Pradesh, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street in Seattle on January 23, 2023. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 km/h) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call.
Kandula was thrown 100 feet when she was struck by the speeding police patrol vehicle.
According to a report in The Seattle Times on Monday, Interim Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr said that she had fired Dave from the Seattle Police Department.
The report, citing an email sent by Rahr to employees, said she fired Dave on Monday after the Seattle Office of Police Accountability found he had violated four department policies.
바카라I 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,바카라 Rahr said.
바카라However, I cannot accept the tragic consequences of his dangerous driving. His positive intent does not mitigate the poor decision that caused the loss of human life and brought discredit to the Seattle Police Department,바카라 according to the Seattle Times report.
It added that the policies Dave failed to follow 바카라include using emergency lights for an emergency response and being responsible for safely operating a patrol vehicle바카라, according to the copy of Rahr바카라s email.
The development comes months after another Seattle police officer Daniel Auderer was fired following his insensitive comments and laughter after Kandula바카라s death.
The Consulate General of India in Seattle had been working consistently with authorities and law enforcement officials to ensure justice in the case, with Auderer바카라s firing and now the action against Dave bringing a sense of closure and justice for Kandula바카라s family.
The Consulate had been in regular touch with Kandula바카라s family representatives and had said that it would continue to extend all possible support in ensuring justice for Jaahnavi and her family.
In a February 2024 post on X, the Indian Consulate in Seattle said that 바카라On the recently released investigation report of the King County Prosecution Attorney on the unfortunate death of Jaahnavi Kandula, Consulate has been in regular touch with the designated family representatives and will continue to extend all possible support in ensuring justice for Kandula and her family.
바카라We have also raised the matter strongly with local authorities, including Seattle Police for appropriate redress. The case has now been referred to the Seattle City Attorney바카라s office for review. We await completion of Seattle Police's administrative investigation and will continue to monitor progress on the case.바카라
Rahr was appointed as interim chief in May 2024 and in July last year, she had announced Auderer바카라s firing. However, decision about Dave's action came in only now.
In bodycam footage released by the Seattle Police Department, Auderer was heard laughing after the deadly crash and had remarked 바카라Uh, 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.바카라
After making these comments, Auderer 바카라laughed hard for four seconds,바카라 the department바카라s Disciplinary Action Report said.
Auderer바카라s body-worn camera also captured him as saying that 바카라Yeah, just write a check. Just, yeah (laughter). USD 11,000. She was 26, anyway. She had limited value.바카라
When asked at an Office of Police Accountability interview about his comments that Kandula had 바카라limited value바카라, Auderer had claimed he was 바카라ridiculing the city attorneys who would be tasked with litigating a potential wrongful death lawsuit.바카라
Rahr had said in an internal email, seen by PTI, that the hurt Auderer바카라s words inflicted on Kandula바카라s family 바카라cannot be erased. 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.바카라
Rahr had said that as the leader of the organisation, it is her duty to uphold the high standards necessary to maintain public trust.
바카라For me to allow the officer to remain on our force would only bring further dishonour to the entire department. For that reason, I am going to terminate his employment,바카라 she had said in the internal email about Auderer.
바카라Our government gives police officers the authority to deprive people of their liberty and in the most extreme circumstances, their life. This authority rests on the public바카라s trust that officers will demonstrate respect for the sanctity of human life. The officer바카라s laughter and callous comments about the 바카라limited value바카라 of Kandula바카라s life displayed a cruel mockery of the sanctity of her life. That is a betrayal of that sacred trust. Not only did his comments irrevocably break the public바카라s trust in the officer, individually, but they caused extreme damage to the public바카라s trust of the entire Seattle Police Department,바카라 Rahr had said.
A report in KIRO 7 News included Rahr's email, which said that 바카라The officer that struck and killed college student Jaahnavi Kandula January 26, 2023, was terminated today. The case was reviewed by the King County Prosecutor바카라s Office and declined for prosecution last year. It was then referred to the Seattle City Attorney바카라s Office and the Officer was charged with second degree negligent driving.바카라
The Seattle Office of Police Accountability (OPA) waited until both criminal and civil infraction cases were complete before completing their investigation. OPA found that the officer violated four Seattle Police Department policies, including those related to standards and duties and emergency vehicle operations, she said.