The US police officer who had struck and killed a 23-year-old Indian student, Jaahnavi Kandula, with his over-speeding police vehicle in January 2023 has now been fired by the interim police chief of Seattle city. Sue Rahr Monday (Jan 6) in an email told employees that Kevin Dave was fired after it was revealed in the Seattle Office of Police Accountability&rsquo;s findings that he had breached at least four department policies.
&ldquo;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,&rdquo; Rahr wrote. &ldquo;However, I cannot accept the tragic consequences of his dangerous driving. His positive intent does not mitigate the poor decision that caused the loss of a human life and brought discredit to the Seattle Police Department,&rdquo; she added.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-orleans-terror-attack-by-shamsud-din-jabbar-victims-identities-age-family-what-we-know-about-them-8590856">New Orleans terror attack victims' stories: 'He said he'll be alright, but...'</a>
The action against Dave comes almost a year after he was acquitted by King County prosecutors in February 2024, who said there was no evidence he was impaired or driving recklessly in the fatal collision. The prosecutors however found that Dave was cruising at a speed of 120 kmph on a street with a speed limit of just 40 kmph while responding to an overdose call.
<h2>Jaahnavi Kandula&rsquo;s death had sparked international outrage</h2>
The fatal collision snowballed into an international crisis for the Seattle police department after bodycam footage showed another cop present at the scene callously laughing and mocking Jaahnavi Kandula&rsquo;s death. The officer, identified as Daniel Auderer, had said that Kandula&rsquo;s life "had limited value&rdquo; and the city should &ldquo;just write a check.&rdquo;
Later, Seattle&rsquo;s civilian watchdog found that Auderer&rsquo;s comments damaged the department&rsquo;s reputation and undermined public trust. Auderer was also fired by the police department on July 17 last year.
&ldquo;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,&rdquo; said Sue Rahr at the time.
(With inputs from agencies)

World | The action against the police officer comes almost a year after he was acquitted by prosecutors in February 2024, who said there was no evidence he was impaired.

The US police officer who had struck and killed a 23-year-old Indian student, Jaahnavi Kandula, with his over-speeding police vehicle in January 2023 has now been fired by the interim police chief of Seattle city. Sue Rahr Monday (Jan 6) in an email told employees that Kevin Dave was fired after it was revealed in the Seattle Office of Police Accountability’s findings that he had breached at least four department policies. “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,” Rahr wrote. “However, I cannot accept the tragic consequences of his dangerous driving. His positive intent does not mitigate the poor decision that caused the loss of a human life and brought discredit to the Seattle Police Department,” she added. Also read: New Orleans terror attack victims' stories: 'He said he'll be alright, but...' The action against Dave comes almost a year after he was acquitted by King County prosecutors in February 2024, who said there was no evidence he was impaired or driving recklessly in the fatal collision. The prosecutors however found that Dave was cruising at a speed of 120 kmph on a street with a speed limit of just 40 kmph while responding to an overdose call. Jaahnavi Kandula’s death had sparked international outrage The fatal collision snowballed into an international crisis for the Seattle police department after bodycam footage showed another cop present at the scene callously laughing and mocking Jaahnavi Kandula’s death. The officer, identified as Daniel Auderer, had said that Kandula’s life "had limited value” and the city should “just write a check.” Later, Seattle’s civilian watchdog found that Auderer’s comments damaged the department’s reputation and undermined public trust. Auderer was also fired by the police department on July 17 last year. “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,” said Sue Rahr at the time. (With inputs from agencies)

US cop who killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula with speeding vehicle now fired

The Seattle Police Officers' Guild, on Friday (September 15), defended its official who made insensitive remarks about Indian-origin student Jaahnavi Kandula earlier this year, saying that some of the videos of police that have been shared, do not fairly elucidate the context of the story.

"The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet," the Seattle Police Officers Guild said in a statement.

It also released a letter written by its officer Auderer in which the latter said that he intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers.

In the letter dated August 3 to the Office of Police Accountability, Auderer 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, as per news agency PTI reports.

"At the time I believed the conversation was private and not being recorded. The conversation was also not within the course of my duties," he wrote in his letter to Gino Betts, director Office of Police Accountability. &nbsp;

<h2>University to&nbsp;award Kandula her degree posthumously</h2>

The Northeastern University released a statement saying that it&nbsp;will award Kandula her degree posthumously.

Chancellor of the University, Kenneth W Henderson made the announcement and reaffirmed that the probes that have been initiated in the incident will bring a measure of justice and accountability.

“The university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family,” the university stated on its Facebook page.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iranian-security-forces-briefly-detain-mahsa-aminis-father-on-her-first-death-anniversary-636640">Iranian security forces briefly detain Mahsa Amini's father on her first death anniversary</a>

The university further added that the friends and family members of Jaanhavi are enduring the “additional pain” of new developments related to this tragedy. It also called the remarks by the Seattle police officer “callous and insensitive”.

“We also recognize that our Indian student community, across all Northeastern campuses, has been especially impacted by this tragedy and its aftermath. We stand in solidarity with you and have every expectation that the ongoing investigations will bring a measure of justice and accountability,” the statement read.

It also recalled the time when the Seattle campus community joined together in a surveillance of remembrance and solidarity, after the incident earlier this year.

It then stated that it would be convoking campus gatherings to allow the community to join together in harmony next week.

Kandula hailed from Andhra Pradesh and was pursuing a master’s degree from the Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union. She was set to graduate in the month of December this year.

The 23-year-old student was hit by an overspeeding police vehicle earlier in January this year. The police car was&nbsp;cruising at a speed of 120 mph

A video released by the Seattle Police Department on Monday (September 11) showed a police officer laughing and making insensitive comments&nbsp;about the accident.

In the video, which has now gone viral on social media, Seattle Police Officers' Guild Vice President Daniel Auderer can be heard saying, "She is dead" before bursting out into laughter and referring to Kandula as "a regular person".

Towards the end, the officer says, "She was 26 anyway, she had limited value", getting her age wrong.

After India raised the issue, senior officials in the Biden administration have reportedly assured that prompt action would be taken against the ones involved.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

The Seattle Police Officers' Guild, on Friday (September 15), defended its official who made insensitive remarks about Indian-origin student Jaahnavi Kandula earlier this year, saying that some of the videos of police that have been shared, do not fairly elucidate the context of the story.

The Seattle Police Officers' Guild, on Friday (September 15), defended its official who made insensitive remarks about Indian-origin student Jaahnavi Kandula earlier this year, saying that some of the videos of police that have been shared, do not fairly elucidate the context of the story. "The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet," the Seattle Police Officers Guild said in a statement. It also released a letter written by its officer Auderer in which the latter said that he intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers. In the letter dated August 3 to the Office of Police Accountability, Auderer 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, as per news agency PTI reports. "At the time I believed the conversation was private and not being recorded. The conversation was also not within the course of my duties," he wrote in his letter to Gino Betts, director Office of Police Accountability. University to award Kandula her degree posthumously The Northeastern University released a statement saying that it will award Kandula her degree posthumously. Chancellor of the University, Kenneth W Henderson made the announcement and reaffirmed that the probes that have been initiated in the incident will bring a measure of justice and accountability. “The university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family,” the university stated on its Facebook page. Also read: Iranian security forces briefly detain Mahsa Amini's father on her first death anniversary The university further added that the friends and family members of Jaanhavi are enduring the “additional pain” of new developments related to this tragedy. It also called the remarks by the Seattle police officer “callous and insensitive”. “We also recognize that our Indian student community, across all Northeastern campuses, has been especially impacted by this tragedy and its aftermath. We stand in solidarity with you and have every expectation that the ongoing investigations will bring a measure of justice and accountability,” the statement read. It also recalled the time when the Seattle campus community joined together in a surveillance of remembrance and solidarity, after the incident earlier this year. It then stated that it would be convoking campus gatherings to allow the community to join together in harmony next week. Kandula hailed from Andhra Pradesh and was pursuing a master’s degree from the Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union. She was set to graduate in the month of December this year. The 23-year-old student was hit by an overspeeding police vehicle earlier in January this year. The police car was cruising at a speed of 120 mph A video released by the Seattle Police Department on Monday (September 11) showed a police officer laughing and making insensitive comments about the accident. In the video, which has now gone viral on social media, Seattle Police Officers' Guild Vice President Daniel Auderer can be heard saying, "She is dead" before bursting out into laughter and referring to Kandula as "a regular person". Towards the end, the officer says, "She was 26 anyway, she had limited value", getting her age wrong. After India raised the issue, senior officials in the Biden administration have reportedly assured that prompt action would be taken against the ones involved. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US cop, who joked about Indian student's death, says comments taken out of context

Seattle's city council on Monday approved a reduction in the budget of the city's police department of less than 1 per cent after months of protests demanding that it defund the force, but signaled deeper cuts might be on the way.

By a vote of 7-1, the council approved a revised 2020 budget that reduced the department`s budget by $3.5 million for the remainder of the year and invested $17 million in community public safety programs.

The cut to the department's $409-million annual budget fell way short of the 50 per cent demanded by protesters following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in police custody on May 25.

Local media said Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best had announced her resignation to staff. According to a report in the New York Times, Best said in a message to the Police Department that she would retire next month and was "confident the department will make it through these difficult times."

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Council President Lorena González called the cut a "down-payment for future potential reductions" to the department's budget.

Defunding advocates oppose the militarization of U.S. police forces and say officers are called on to deal with issues like addiction, mental illness and homelessness that could be better addressed by social services.

Law-enforcement supporters say cuts to police spending will lead to more crime.

The council begins 2021 budget talks in September and Mayor Jenny Durkan and Best had earlier signaled their willingness to rethink policing and consider $76 million in proposed cuts to the department's 2021 budget.

The revised 2020 budget came after a council inquest into the department, which revealed that 56 per cent of 911 calls are for non-criminal activity and only 3 per cent of calls result in arrest.

The rebalanced budget reduces executive pay and eliminates 100 police officers. It also reduces the budget for travel, public affairs, training and recruitment and makes cuts to specialized units like SWAT, harbor patrol, homeland security, mounted patrol and officers in schools.

The budget also removes officers from the city's homeless outreach team. More than a dozen business and neighborhood groups signed a letter from the Downtown Seattle Association opposing that move.

"In defunding SPD, the council moved with speed and pettiness rather than with precision and thoughtfulness," the association said in a statement.

Multiple demonstrations for and against "defunding the police" have taken place at city hall over the past week. 
Anti-police protesters smashed windows at businesses perceived to support the police and set fire to the construction site at a juvenile detention facility.

The SPD has been under a federal consent decree for excessive use of force since 2011.

Seattle's city council on Monday approved a reduction in the budget of the city's police department of less than 1 per cent after months of protests demanding that it defund the force, but signaled deeper cuts might be on the way.

Seattle's city council on Monday approved a reduction in the budget of the city's police department of less than 1 per cent after months of protests demanding that it defund the force, but signaled deeper cuts might be on the way. By a vote of 7-1, the council approved a revised 2020 budget that reduced the department`s budget by $3.5 million for the remainder of the year and invested $17 million in community public safety programs. The cut to the department's $409-million annual budget fell way short of the 50 per cent demanded by protesters following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in police custody on May 25. Local media said Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best had announced her resignation to staff. According to a report in the New York Times, Best said in a message to the Police Department that she would retire next month and was "confident the department will make it through these difficult times." The Seattle Police Department (SPD) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Council President Lorena González called the cut a "down-payment for future potential reductions" to the department's budget. Defunding advocates oppose the militarization of U.S. police forces and say officers are called on to deal with issues like addiction, mental illness and homelessness that could be better addressed by social services. Law-enforcement supporters say cuts to police spending will lead to more crime. The council begins 2021 budget talks in September and Mayor Jenny Durkan and Best had earlier signaled their willingness to rethink policing and consider $76 million in proposed cuts to the department's 2021 budget. The revised 2020 budget came after a council inquest into the department, which revealed that 56 per cent of 911 calls are for non-criminal activity and only 3 per cent of calls result in arrest. The rebalanced budget reduces executive pay and eliminates 100 police officers. It also reduces the budget for travel, public affairs, training and recruitment and makes cuts to specialized units like SWAT, harbor patrol, homeland security, mounted patrol and officers in schools. The budget also removes officers from the city's homeless outreach team. More than a dozen business and neighborhood groups signed a letter from the Downtown Seattle Association opposing that move. "In defunding SPD, the council moved with speed and pettiness rather than with precision and thoughtfulness," the association said in a statement. Multiple demonstrations for and against "defunding the police" have taken place at city hall over the past week. Anti-police protesters smashed windows at businesses perceived to support the police and set fire to the construction site at a juvenile detention facility. The SPD has been under a federal consent decree for excessive use of force since 2011.

Seattle reduces police funding, signals deeper cuts ahead

seattle-police

Seattle Police, News on Seattle Police, stories on Seattle Police, articles on Seattle Police, Seattle Police stories at Wion, Seattle Police news, Seattle Police latest news

seattle police

US cop who killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula with speeding vehicle now fired

US cop, who joked about Indian student's death, says comments taken out of context

Seattle reduces police funding, signals deeper cuts ahead