Seattle cop who killed Indian student in patrol car dismissed two yrs after accident
It was not an intentional act, said the Seattle police department but also added that it cannot overlook the tragic consequences of dangerous driving;
A police officer Kevin Dave, who killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula in January 2023 in Seattle USA, when his patrol vehicle struck her, has been dismissed from the police force two years after the accident.
On Tuesday (January 7), the department announced that the 23-year-old graduate student from Andhra Pradesh, was struck by a police vehicle driven by officer Kevin Dave while crossing a street in Seattle. He was driving at more than 119 km/h while he was on his way to handle a drug overdose report.
The speeding police patrol vehicle struck Kandula, who was thrown 100 feet away.
Also read: AP girl Jaahnavi Kandula's death: US promises speedy probe after outrage
Tragic consequences
It was not an intentional act, said the Seattle police department but also added that it cannot overlook the tragic consequences of dangerous driving.
Seattle interim police chief Sue Rahr said that she did not believe the officer intended to hurt anyone that night. He was just trying to get to a possible overdose victim as quickly as possible.
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“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," Rahr said.
Even as there was outrage over the accident, what caused a bigger uproar was an officer laughing and suggesting that Kandula’s life had‘limited value'. The city should “just write a check”, said the officer Danile Auderer, who was fired from the force.
Watch: ‘Just a regular person’ : US cop’s insensitive remarks goes viral
India had sought a proper investigation into the incident. Kandula, a native of Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district, had gone to Northeastern University to pursue a master’s of science information systems at the College of Engineering. She was about to graduate in December.
Earlier, the King County prosecutors had claimed there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Dave was consciously disregarding safety in the crash that killed Kandula. But, later, he was given a $5,000 fight for negligent driving.