Jaahnavi Kandula death: Police officer fired for callous remarks on bodycam

Seattle police officer Daniel Auderer has been fired from the department, a year after he was seen making callous remarks following the death of an Indian student.

Auderer faced criticism after body camera footage captured him making insensitive comments about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old graduate student from India, who was fatally struck by another officer's vehicle in a crosswalk.

In thebodycam footage, Auderer was recorded joking and laughing about Kandula's death, suggesting that her life had "limited value" and that the city should "just write a check" as compensation.

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The Seattle Police Department confirmed the development to WION, providing a copy of the department's Disciplinary Action Report.

Interim Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr, in an internal email explaining the reason for Auderer's termination, stated, "the hurt his words have inflicted on Ms. Kandula’s family cannot 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."

The internal mail, a copy of which has been seen by WION pointed, "The officer’s laughter and callous comments about the “limited value” of Ms. Kandula’s life displayed a cruel mockery of the sanctity of her life".

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Pointingto the implicationthe comment made by Auderer had, the police chiefsaid,"it is a betrayal of that sacred trust. Not only did his comments irrevocably break the public’s trust in the officer, individually, but they caused extreme damage to the public’s trust of the entire Seattle Police Department."

The termination is seen as a form of justice for Kandula, albeit over a year later. Jaahnavi Kandula, a resident of Andhra Pradesh, lost her life on January 23, 2023. The incident sparked controversy and protests due to the initial police response and the subsequent revelations about the circumstances surrounding her death.

Rahr in her email acknowledged the far-reaching consequences of Auderer's actions on the "public trust" on the law enforcement authorities. "There is no doubt that the named officer’s cruel comments and callous laughter about the tragic death caused deep pain to Ms. Kandula’s family, but also immeasurable damage to the public trust of police in the Seattle community, across the nation, and around the world", she said.