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Seattle Cop who ran over Jaahnavi Kandula exonerated
The officer was responding to a drug overdose call at the time, driving at speeds exceeding 119 kmph.
Jaahnavi Kandula died after she was struck by a police vehicle. / GoFundMe
The King County Prosecutor's Office announced on February 21 that the Seattle police officer involved in the fatal collision with Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula will not face criminal charges due to insufficient evidence.
Kandula, a 23-year-old Indian student, tragically lost her life on January 23, 2023, in Seattle when she was struck by a police vehicle driven by officer Kevin Dave.
"After staffing this case with senior deputy prosecuting attorneys and office leadership, I have determined that we lack sufficient evidence under Washington State law to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt," the King County Prosecuting Attorney said in a statement.
The officer was responding to a drug overdose call at the time, driving at speeds exceeding 119 kmph. Kandula was thrown approximately 100 feet upon impact with the speeding police patrol vehicle.
The attorney's office acknowledged that comments made by Seattle Police Officer Daniel Auderer, captured on his body-worn video, were described as "appalling and deeply troubling." Officer Auderer, who was not involved in the January collision, was captured in the video saying, "But she is dead" and laughing while on the phone. He continued, "She was 26 anyway. She had limited value."
Attorney Leesa Manion said, "Officer Auderer’s comments were also unprofessional and undermined the public’s trust in the Seattle Police Department and law enforcement in general."
Kandula, a graduate student at Northeastern University's Seattle campus, was posthumously awarded her degree by the university in January 2023, with plans to present it to her family.
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