Seattle Officer Benched After Laughing at Grad Student’s Death
Seattle police officer Daniel Auderer has been reassigned to a non-operational position after laughing callously about the tragic death of a young grad student, Jaahnavi Kandula. This came to light when an employee uncovered a bodycam clip in which Officer Auderer made stomach-turning remarks about the value of the victim’s life.
On January 23, 2021, Kandula, a 23-year-old grad student from India, was crossing the street when she was struck and killed by a police vehicle that was rushing to the scene of a reported overdose. The officer behind the wheel, Kevin Dave, was driving at a speed of 74 mph in a 25 mph-zone with the police cruiser’s lights flashing, causing him to hit Kandula and throw her a distance of 138 feet.
Once Auderer arrived at the crash site to determine if Dave had been impaired, he made a phone call to the president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, Mike Solan, while forgetting to switch off his body-worn camera. The camera recorded Auderer’s side of the conversation, wherein he can be heard laughing and making disturbing comments about Kandula’s life.
Auderer stated, But she is dead, before laughing at something Solan said in response. He then mentioned, No, it’s a regular person, followed by, Yeah, just write a check. $11,000. She was 26 anyway. She had limited value. It should be noted that Auderer misstated Kandula’s age and falsely claimed that Dave had been driving at 50 mph.
The Seattle Police Officers Guild defended the conversation, claiming that it had been taken out of context. According to the guild, Auderer and Solan were mocking how the city’s lawyers would handle the case to minimize liability.
Following a review of footage by a police department staffer, Auderer’s remarks were flagged to a police department lawyer, leading to an investigation by the Office of Police Accountability on August 2. The investigation aims to determine the true context and intent behind Auderer’s comments.
As a result of the disturbing video, Officer Auderer has now been placed on administrative reassignment to a non-operational position within the Seattle Police Department. The exact timing of his desk duties reassignment remains unclear, but one week ago, a police watchdog group demanded that he be suspended without pay.
The incident and subsequent investigation have sparked outrage, raising concerns about the behavior and attitudes of police officers. Authorities are striving for transparency and accountability to ensure that justice is served in this tragic case.
The Seattle Police Department is committed to regaining the trust of the community and upholding the highest standards of professionalism and respect. The reassigned officer will face the consequences of his callous words, as the investigation progresses to shed light on the circumstances surrounding this troubling incident. As efforts continue to improve police-community relations, incidents like these underscore the clear need for increased accountability and training within law enforcement agencies.
