Our Bureau
Seattle, Washington
The police officer who ran over an Indian student, will not face any criminal charges due to lack of “sufficient” evidence, according to authorities. Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, was killed by a speeding police car while crossing a street in Seattle on January 23 last year. Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave was reportedly driving at a speed of 119 km/h on the way to a report of a drug overdose call. Ms Kandula was thrown 100 feet when she was struck by the police patrol vehicle.
In the footage released by the Seattle Police Department in September last year, Dave’s colleague and officer Daniel Auderer, who was dispatched to assist with the fatality collision, was heard laughing about the deadly crash. He was also heard dismissing any implication that Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary.
“Just write a cheque. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value,” Auderer was heard saying in the video. His comments had created a furor.
Ms Kandula was from Andhra Pradesh, pursuing a master’s degree from the Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union. As per reports, she went to the US from Bengaluru on a student exchange program in 2021 and was due to graduate in December 2023.
In a letter dated to the Office of Police Accountability, Auderer reportedly said he laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how he has watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy.
