South Asian community members demand justice for Jaahnavi Kandula, meet Seattle mayor

Members of the South Asian community met the Mayor of Seattle and the top officials of the city, on Saturday (September 16), and also held a rally at the site where Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula was struck and killed by an overspeeding police vehicle.

The leaders and organisations representing the South Asian community in Seattle met Mayor Bruce Harrell, Police Chief Adrian Diaz and other city leaders on Saturday.

“Effective public safety is built on trust between City government and the communities we serve. When that trust is breached, it is the City's obligation to do the work necessary to restore and rebuild it,” Mayor Harrell was quoted as saying by Komo TV.

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Harrell further said "We want to express our extreme condolences for your loss. Many comments that have been made do not reflect the sympathy and the empathy and the condolences that we have."

"I'm standing with our Chief of Police, Adrian Diaz and again with the Indian...The who's who in the Indian community in the greater region, are all coming together because of unfortunate and insensitive remarks that we believe were made. Making sure that our apologies as a city official are felt to your community and your family."

Diaz further added, "I know that I talked to the brother and some of the other family. But we're here to continue to listen because we're here. We want to stand with you. We want to figure out ways that you also feel in a situation. We want to work to ensure that that we value our human life and that we do not dehumanise others."

'Jaahnavi had more value than Seattle Police Department', support pours in for Kandula

More than 100 members of the Seattle area's South Asian community also gathered at Denny Park on Saturday where they held signs saying, “Jaahnavi had more value than Seattle Police Department” and “Justice for Jaahnavi, jail killer cops”.

“The South Asian community and I grieve for Jaahnavi and are in shock over the lack of empathy and deeply offensive remarks regarding a young woman's life and potential,” news agency PTI quoted State Representative Vandana Slatter as saying.

“Jaahnavi is a part of our community, and her story is reflected in every one of us. It is time for swift and accountable action, not apathy so that Jaahnavi's family can have justice and the community can begin the long journey to rebuilding trust,” she said.

“We're not a monolith, the Indian community,” Slatter said to the crowd.

“There's diaspora in the community, but we are all united today,” she said.

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"

(With input from agencies)

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