'Disturbing' police bodycam footage shows officer laughing after student was fatally hit by car
An officer's 'disturbing' reaction to a student getting fatally hit by a police car was caught on bodycam.
A Seattle Police Department's vehicle struck and killed student Jaahnavi Kandula on January 23 last year.
Kandula was using a crosswalk near her South Lake Union campus when she was hit. The car, driven by officer Kevin Dave, was responding to a drug overdose call, traveling at 74 miles per hour.
Kandula, who was studying in the US from India, died after being thrown 138 feet by the car.
Advert
But it was another officer's response to the tragedy that 'brought shame' on the police department.
SPD's Daniel Auderer - who was not involved in the incident - was caught laughing while responding to an emergency call at the time of the collision.
Shocking bodycam footage, which you can watch above, also captured him wrongly stating that Kandula was 'just 26' and that her life had 'limited value'.
He also claimed the city should 'just write a check for $11,000.'
The conversation was uncovered by officials last August.
Auderer was fired by the department this July. Seattle interim police Chief Sue Rahr said in a department-wide email that Auderer's actions 'have brought shame on the Seattle Police Department and our entire profession, making the job of every police officer more difficult.'
She added that it was her duty to uphold the high standards necessary to maintain public trust.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a statement back in July: "This incident damaged the public trust we have been working to strengthen since Day One of my administration."
Kandula's family previously said in a statement: "We are truly heartbroken. Jaahnavi was a brilliant student with a bright future.
"Jaahnavi's smile was radiant, and her bubbly personality warmed the hearts of every person she came in contact with. She had an innate ability to connect with people from all walks of life."
They added: "Jaahnavi's tragic and untimely death has left her family and community with a huge hole in their hearts that will never be repaired. She was a daughter to a single mother who teaches elementary school in India.
"In spite of earning less than 200 USD per month, her mother educated Jaahnavi and encouraged her to the United States hoping Jaahnavi would have a better future and a better life abroad.
"Her mother's hopes and dreams are cut short now."
Auderer, who was the elected vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, was not charged with any crime over the comments.
UNILAD has reached out to the Seattle Police Department for comment.
Ellie Kemp