Community calls for action persist nearly a year and a half after Jaahnavi Kandula, a 26-year-old graduate student, was struck and killed at a Seattle intersection by Officer Kevin Dave of the Seattle Police Department. As per KING5, demonstrators are now urging the police department to terminate Officer Dave's employment after a decision was made not to file criminal charges against him, instead issuing a citation for negligent driving and ordering him to pay a fine exceeding $5,000.
While a hearing to contest the citation is set for September 24 as disclosed by court documents, the gravity of this tragedy cannot be overshadowed by the legal proceedings. Officer Dave was reportedly speeding at 74 mph on his way to respond to an overdose call when the accident occurred on last year of January 23, according to a report by KOMO News. Though Dave attempted to slow down, Jaahnavi was hit at a forceful 63 mph and did not survive. At the time of the incident, the dashboard camera footage established that Kandula had the legal right of way.
Additional details from the investigation highlight that Officer Dave had failed to activate his siren during the event, merely chirping it at the intersection while the emergency lights were engaged. This, combined with the excess speed, has been a focal point for the protestors who see the penalty as insufficient for the severity of the loss incurred.
The outcry intensified following the emergence of body-worn camera audio involving another officer, Daniel Auderer, speaking with the Seattle Police Officers Guild President, Mike Solan. In a conversation obtained by the SPD and released publicly, Auderer is heard making light of the tragedy, laughing while suggesting that Kandula's life had "limited value" and proposing the city should "just write a check." Auderer was heard stating, "Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway," grossly misstating both Kandula's age and the value of her life. Following significant public condemnation, Auderer was discharged from his role with the department in last month, as reported by KOMO News.
