In body camera footage, Daniel Auderer can be seen laughing about Jaahnavi Kandula’s death. (document)
Washington:
Seattle police officers who attacked and killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula while responding to an overdose call will not face any criminal charges due to a lack of “sufficient” evidence, authorities said.
On Wednesday, the King County Prosecutor’s Office said they would not proceed with criminal charges against Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave, FOX13 Seattle reported.
“Kandula’s death is heartbreaking and has impacted communities in King County and around the world,” the King County prosecutor said in a statement released Wednesday. Kandula, 23, died Jan. 23 in Seattle was hit by a police car driven by Officer Dave while crossing the street. Officer Dave was driving 74 miles per hour (more than 119 kilometers per hour) to respond to a drug overdose call. Kandula was thrown 100 feet when he was hit by a speeding police cruiser.
In body camera footage released by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Odley laughs about the fatal crash and dismisses any suggestion that Dave may be at fault or that a criminal investigation is warranted.
King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion said she believed they lacked evidence to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt, the report added.
“The King County Prosecutor’s Office has the responsibility to review all available evidence related to the January 2023 collision deaths involving Seattle Police Officers Kevin Dave and Jaahnavi Kandula. After staffing the case with senior deputy prosecutors and office leadership, I have determined that, Under Washington state law, we lack sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this is a criminal case.” The statement also said the prosecutor’s office also believes Seattle Police Officer Daniel Auderer was in the body-worn video The comments made were “shocking and deeply disturbing”. Odler, who was not involved in the January crash, is videotaped saying, “But she died,” and laughing on the phone.
Anyway, she’s 26 years old,” O’Drell said in the video. “Her value is limited. “Officer O’Drell’s comments were also unprofessional and undermined the public’s trust in the Seattle Police Department and law enforcement as a whole,” Manion said.
“While Officer O’Drey’s comments are shocking, they do not change the Office of Public Administration’s legal analysis of Officer Dave’s conduct. Responsible for the disciplinary investigation and proceedings related to Officer O’Drey’s comments is the Office of Police Accountability,” Not the Office of Public Administration.” O’Drell was removed from patrol in September 2023 and reassigned to a “non-operational position.” O’Drell’s insensitive remarks were caught on body camera, and the consequences were dire. He could still be fired.
O’Drell’s chain of command and the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) found his conduct was unprofessional. According to the disciplinary report, he faces maximum disciplinary action ranging from a nearly two-week suspension to termination.
Odler will have an opportunity to meet with Police Chief Adrian Diaz to express his dissent before a final disciplinary decision is made.
His disciplinary hearing is scheduled for March 4, K5 News reported.
Local media in Seattle reported that speed was a factor in the collision because Dave was traveling at a speed that “did not allow (Kandula) or sufficient time for him to detect, address and avoid the hazard as it presented itself.” According to the Seattle Police Department, Dave was responding to a “priority” call requesting the Seattle Fire Department. According to police reports, the officer was responding to a report of a drug overdose.
The officer did not continuously activate the siren. Instead, the officer “blasted” his siren at the intersection. He did turn on his emergency lights, according to previous statements from the police department.
In a memo to Seattle police, prosecutors wrote that there was insufficient evidence to prove Dave had “conscious disregard for the safety of others.” A drug recognition expert responded to the scene and found the officer unimpaired.
Kandula is a graduate student at Northeastern University’s Seattle campus. The university said in January 2023 that they would confer her degree upon her death and present it to her family.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
