Daniel Auderer, the police officer who laughed at the killing of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula, has been fired by the Seattle police.
On January 23, 2023, 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula was struck and killed by a Seattle police vehicle while crossing the street. The officer, Kevin Dave, was responding to an emergency overdose call and was driving at an alarming 74 mph (119 km/h) when he hit Kandula, who was thrown 100 feet by the impact.
The incident was made even worse by the response of another officer, Daniel Auderer. After the accident, Auderer was recorded on bodycam footage making insensitive comments about the incident.
In the footage, he could be heard laughing and making remarks about the details of Kandula’s death, saying, “Uh, I think she went up on the hood, hit the windshield, and then when he hit the brakes, flew off the car… But she is dead.”
His laughter, which lasted several seconds, sparked outrage and condemnation from the public and the police force.
In response to these callous remarks, Seattle’s interim Police Chief, Sue Rahr, took swift action. In an internal email to the department, she expressed that the harm caused by Auderer’s words was “irreparable” and that his actions had brought shame to the police force. She stated that allowing Auderer to remain employed would only further harm the department’s reputation, leading to his dismissal.
In contrast to the officer’s actions, Kandula was posthumously awarded a master’s degree by her university, Northeastern University, in honour of her achievements and to acknowledge her impact on the community.
