The 23-year-old girl was thrown 100 feet after being hit by the police vehicle at a speed of about 120 kmph. (file)
New Delhi:
India has sought review of a US court’s decision that dropped criminal charges against the Seattle police officer who killed 23-year-old Indian student Jhanvi Kandula. The prosecutor said she could not bring criminal charges against the officer due to “lack of sufficient evidence”.
Jhanvi, a master’s student from Andhra Pradesh, was hit by the speeding car of Seattle police officer Kevin Dave on January 23 last year while he was responding to a drug overdose call. The 23-year-old girl was thrown 100 feet after being hit by the police vehicle at a speed of about 120 kmph.
bodycam footage Officer Dave’s co-worker Daniel Auderer is shown laughing about the fatal accident, assuring him that he will not be prosecuted for the death because Janhvi was “26 anyway” and “her worth was limited”.
The Indian Embassy said it is working to ensure justice to her family and is now waiting for the Seattle Police to complete their investigation.
On the recently released investigative report of the King County Prosecuting Attorney on the unfortunate death of Jhanvi Kandula, the Consulate is in regular contact with representatives of the named family and will continue to provide all possible assistance in ensuring justice…
– India in Seattle (@IndiainSeattle) 23 February 2024
“On the recently released investigative report of the King County Prosecuting Attorney on the unfortunate death of Jhanvi Kandula, the Consulate is in regular contact with the representatives of the named family and will continue to provide all possible assistance in ensuring justice for Jhanvi and her family. We have also vigorously raised the matter with local authorities, including Seattle Police, for appropriate resolution. The case has now been referred to the Seattle City Attorney’s Office for review. We await the completion of Seattle Police’s administrative investigation “And will continue to monitor the progress of the case.” the embassy said in a statement.
On Friday, King County Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Manion expressed concern about Officer Order’s “appalling and extremely disturbing” comments, saying they do not change the legal analysis of Officer Dave’s conduct. Prosecutors said they did not have “sufficient evidence” to prove that Officer Dave showed “a conscious disregard for the safety of others.”
