The Seattle Police Department has fired from service Kevin Dave, the police officer who struck Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula with his patrol car in 2023. A statement from the department said Dave had been fired after the investigation revealed he violated four department policies, including the use of emergency lights for an emergency response and being responsible for safely operating a patrol vehicle.
Seattle police Chief Sue Rahr, in an email sent to employees, said though Dave did not intend to hurt anyone, it does not mitigate the aftermath of his poor decision, according to The Seattle Times.
"I believe the officer did not intend to hurt anyone that night and that he was trying to get to a possible overdose victim as quickly as possible," Rahr wrote. "However, I cannot accept the tragic consequences of his dangerous driving. His positive intent does not mitigate the poor decision that caused the loss of a human life and brought discredit to the Seattle Police Department."
Though the authorities said in February 2024 that he wouldn't be prosecuted because there was no evidence he was impaired or driving recklessly when he mowed down Kandula. However, his employment hung in the balance as the Seattle Office of Police Accountability conducted a probe into the accident that occurred on Jan. 23, 2023.
Kandula, a 23-year-old Northeastern University graduate student, hailed from Andhra Pradesh in India. She was crossing the street in Seattle when the patrol car driven by Dave knocked her down. The car was speeding at 120 miles per hour when the collision happened. Investigation proved Kandula had the right of way in the cross walk.
The incident drew widespread condemn after a recording was published in September 2023 in which Officer Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, was heard laughing and downplaying her death. Auderer said Kandula had "limited value" and that the city should "just write a check" for $11,000. Audrey was fired in July for his callous comments.
Kandula's family had filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in King County Superior Court against the city and Dave, alleging that Kandula experienced severe emotional distress, pain and suffering before dying from her injuries. The lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in September.
