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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.
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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)