US: Seattle Cop Fired For Mocking Indian Student Jaahnavi Kandula's Death

Auderer has been fired from the Seattle Police Department, according to an internal email sent to the department on Wednesday evening

Kandula was killed after being hit by a speeding police vehicle in the US state of Washington on January 23 last year (Image: PTI)

Source : PTI

An officer of Seattle police in the United States, whose insensitive comments and laughter sparked outrage following the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, has been fired. Officer Daniel Auderer was caught on body camera laughing about the death of Kandula -- a 23-year-old Indian graduate student-- after she was run over by another officer in 2023.

Kandula was killed after being hit by a speeding police vehicle in the US state of Washington on January 23 last year. The police vehicle, driven by Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave, hit Kandula as she was crossing a street. As per media reports, Dave was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call. Kandula was thrown 100 feet when she was struck by the speeding police patrol vehicle.

Following the crash, in bodycam footage released by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer was heard laughing about the deadly crash and saying, “Uh, I think she went up on the hood, hit the windshield, and then when he hit the brakes, flew off the car...But she is dead.” 

After making these comments, Auderer “laughed hard for four seconds,” according to the Disciplinary Action Report filed against the officer. 

Auderer has been fired from the Seattle Police Department, according to an internal email sent to the department on Wednesday evening.

In the email, Interim Chief Sue Rahr at the Seattle Police Department said the hurt Auderer’s words have inflicted on Kandula’s family “cannot be erased."

"The actions 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," news agency PTI reported quoting the mail. 

Rahr said as the leader of the organisation, it was her duty to uphold the high standards necessary to maintain public trust. 

“For me to allow the officer to remain on our force would only bring further dishonour to the entire department. For that reason, I am going to terminate his employment,” she added.