Shocking moment Seattle cop LAUGHS at scene of crash where grad student Jaahnavi Kandual was killed by police SUV
- Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, was run down by a Seattle Police Department SUV as she was crossing a crosswalk near her campus on January 23
- Detective Daniel Auderer – who was not in the car that hit the student, but was on duty for another incident – said that police can just ‘write a check’ after killing her
New bodycam footage has revealed the moment a Seattle police officer callously laughed and said that the life of a Northeastern University student who was mowed down by a cop car had ‘limited value.’
Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, was run down by a speeding Seattle Police Department SUV as she was crossing a heavily marked crosswalk near her campus in the South Lake Union neighborhood on January 23.
Detective Daniel Auderer – who was not in the car that hit the student, but was responding to the scene – said that police can just ‘write a check’ after killing masters student Kandula.
He cackled and downplayed her death while on the phone with his colleague, whose side of the conversation was not recorded.
In the unearthed bodycam, Auderer said: ‘Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26, anyway. She had limited value.’
Ms Kandula’s family said her death left a ‘huge hole’ in the hearts of people who knew her. She was run down by a speeding Seattle Police Department SUV as she was crossing a heavily marked crosswalk near her campus in the South Lake Union neighborhood on January 23
New bodycam footage has revealed the moment a Seattle police officer callously laughed and said that the life of a Northeastern University student who was mowed down by a cop car had ‘limited value’
He was also heard uttering: ‘I mean, he was going 50 (MPH). That’s not out of control. That’s not reckless for a trained driver.’
The cop driving the car, officer Kevin Dave, was in fact doing at 74mph in a 25mph zone before he slammed into Jaahnavi Kandula.
Auderer is a drug-recognition officer, who was assigned to determine whether Dave was under the influence. He concluded that his colleague was sober.
After finishing his analysis, he called Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan, and the pair talked for two minutes – which is the basis for the newly released bodycam footage.
The Seattle Police Department said that the clip of Auderer laughing was spotted by an employee during a routine check.
Kandula was crossing the intersection of Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street near the college campus in January when she was thrown 100 feet into the air. She died at the hospital a day later.
Driver Dave was heard calling into radio dispatch for backup after reports of a struck pedestrian. He was seen performing CPR on the young woman until several other first responders arrived at the scene.
Detective Daniel Auderer is a drug-recognition officer, who was assigned to determine whether Dave was under the influence. He concluded that his colleague was sober. He is heard laughing in the clip
Images from the scene show Office Kevin Dave performing CPR on the victim moments after hitting her with his cruiser. She died the next day
Police ruled the incident an accident, and the officer returned to duty days later.
The intersection’s crosswalks are heavily marked by bright yellow reflective indicators, a large neon sign and are surrounded by bike lanes and a wide median.
The officer was heard on separate bodycam telling a responding officer, ‘Lights were on. I was chirping the sirens…she was in the crosswalk’
‘She saw me, she started running through the crosswalk. Slammed on my breaks. Started staying back where she should before crossing.’
The video showed the officer speeding past red lights and slowing down slightly before the young woman was hit.
Dave was on his way to a priority-one call, classified as the highest importance of calls, as per the police department. The call was regarding a man who had overdosed on drugs but did not need to be taken to the hospital.
Video footage shows the officer behind the wheel driving at a speed of 74 miles per hour in a 25 miles per hour zone
The officer in the collision was identified as Kevin Dave who has been on the Seattle Police department since 2019. He is seen speaking to other officers after the crash
Following the release of the new bodycam video, the clip was referred to the Office of Police Accountability for investigation.
The Community Police Commission said in a statement following the horrific comments by the officer: ‘This speaks to the concerns that the Seattle Community Police Commission has repeatedly raised about elements of Seattle Police Department culture and SPOG resistance to officer accountability measures included in the landmark 2017 Police Accountability Ordinance.
‘The people of Seattle deserve better from a police department that is charged with fostering trust with the community and ensuring public safety.’
Ms Kandula was a graduate student set to earn her masters in information systems. Her family recalled her as a ‘brilliant’ person.
Her family said her death left a ‘huge hole’ in the hearts of people who knew her.
Twenty-three-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula was a graduate student set to earn her masters in information systems at Northeastern University
‘We are truly heartbroken. Jaahnavi was a brilliant student with a bright future. Jaahnavi’s smile was radiant, and her bubbly personality warmed the hearts of every person she came in contact with.
‘She had an innate ability to connect with people from all walks of life,’ they said in a statement.
‘Jaahnavi’s tragic and untimely death has left her family and community with a huge hole in their hearts that will never be repaired. She was a daughter to a single mother who teaches elementary school in India.
‘In spite of earning less than 200 USD per month, her mother educated Jaahnavi and encouraged her to the United States hoping Jaahnavi would have a better future and a better life abroad. Her mother’s hopes and dreams are cut short now.’
A GoFundMe was set up to help her family pay for Ms Kandula’s hospital bills, and to take care of the college loans taken out for her education.
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