NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Seattle, WA, July 18, 2024: Officer Daniel Auderer who laughed about the death of Jaahnvi Kandula, an Indian graduate student who was struck by a police patrol car in 2023, has been fired from the Seattle Police Department.
Interim Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr announced the termination in an internal email on Wednesday evening, according to local media.
The incident dates back to January 2023, when Kandula, a 23-year-old graduate student at Northeastern University, was struck by a patrol car traveling over 70 miles per hour. She was in a marked crosswalk at Dexter Avenue and Thomas Street when the vehicle, en route to a 911 call, hit her. Kandula was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Auderer, who was at the scene, was recorded laughing and making insensitive remarks about Kandula’s death during a phone call with Officer Mike Solan, president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild. Auderer, who was vice president of the guild, was heard saying, “She is dead,” followed by laughter and a comment about writing a check for $11,000, dismissing Kandula’s life as having “limited value.”
Defending himself in a letter to Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) last year, Auderer wrote that the comments were not made with “malice” and hard heart.
Stating that he “lamented” Kandula’s death, he wrote that it was unfortunate that her death would “turn into lawyers arguing ‘the value of human life”.
Following his letter, the SPOG issued a statement saying the conversation has been taken out of context and that Auderer, in a call with Guild President Mike Solan, was mocking attorneys who will try to put a price tag on the young woman’s life.
In her email, Chief Rahr highlighted the gravity of Auderer’s behavior and its impact on the department’s reputation and community trust. “For me to allow the officer to remain on our force would only bring further dishonor to the entire department,” Rahr stated. She emphasized the pain caused to Kandula’s family and the damage to public trust, concluding that the severity of Auderer’s actions outweighed any intention of privacy he claimed.
The Indian American Community Services expressed gratitude for the decision, urging continued engagement to address community needs with cultural sensitivity. “We hope that this decision from the Seattle Police Department will now be followed with continued engagement to address community needs, particularly our vulnerable communities with a culturally nuanced lens identifying the need to bring clarity to laws and guidance addressing speed, use of sirens and dashing lights.”
Kandula was pursuing a Master of Science in Information Systems and was set to graduate in December 2023. Her untimely death and the subsequent scandal involving Officer Auderer have drawn significant public and media attention, highlighting the need for accountability and sensitivity in law enforcement.