Seattle Officer Jokes About Woman Killed by Police Car

What's the story?

• Newly released bodycam footage shows a Seattle Police officer making cruel remarks about a young woman who was fatally struck by another police officer's car. 
• The recording is from Jan. 24, the day after Seattle officer Kevin Dave hit 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula while he was driving 74 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone. The footage is of Officer Daniel Auderer, the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG).

The remarks

• Auderer was speaking to SPOG President Mike Solan about the crash on the phone. Only Auderer's side of the conversation can be heard in the recording. He said:

"...it does not seem like there's a criminal investigation going on."

"I mean, he's going 50. That's not out of control, that's not reckless for a trained driver. Yeah, lights and sirens."

"I don't think she was thrown 40 feet either."

"But she is dead."

• After this comment, Auderer laughs at something Solan said.

"No, it's a regular person."

"Yeah, just write a check. $11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value."

• Auderer breaks into laughter after these comments as well. Investigators concluded that when Dave struck Kandula, he was going 63 miles per hour, and she was thrown approximately 138 feet. 
• The police department said the footage was "identified in the routine course of business by a department employee" who "appropriately escalated their concerns through their chain of command to the Chief's Office." 
• The Seattle Office of Police Accountability reviewed the video "for an investigation into the context in which those statements were made and any policy violation." The office said it immediately opened up an investigation and will not comment further on the case until it concludes. 
• Auderer claims he was mocking city lawyers in his comments, "imitating what a lawyer tasked with negotiating the case would be saying and being sarcastic to express that they shouldn't be coming up with crazy arguments to minimize the payment."

The incident

• Witnesses of the event said Kandula broke into a run when she saw the speeding car approaching her. 
• The investigation into the incident declared that the collision would not have occurred if the officer had been traveling 50 mph or less as he approached the intersection. 
• Kandula would have graduated in December with a master's degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. Her uncle, Ashok Mandula, told The Seattle Times:

"The family has nothing to say. Except I wonder if these men's daughters or granddaughters have value. A life is a life." 

• The Indian Consulate denounced the handling of Kandula's tragic accident, calling it "deeply troubling." They are calling for immediate action against all involved in the case, emphasizing the need for justice. 

Do you support an investigation into the Seattle Police Department? 

-Jamie Epstein

(Photo credit: Seattle Police Department)