Outrage and Disbelief: Officer’s Laughter Amid Tragedy in the Jaahnavi Kandula Case
On January 23, a bright 23-year-old graduate student from Northeastern University named Jaahnavi Kandula passed away. She was tragically killed when Kevin Dave, a Seattle police officer, struck her with a patrol car. The circumstances surrounding this occurrence are not only shocking but also extremely upsetting.
Dave was allegedly driving recklessly at 119 km/h while rushing to respond to an inquiry of an overdose. Jaahnavi Kandula was killed when this patrol cruiser slammed into her at the intersection of Thomas Street and Dexter Avenue North. Her body was propelled more than 100 feet (about 30 meters) away due to the force of the crash.
Jaahnavi Kandula’s loved ones and family were devastated when she passed away at Harborview Medical Center due to her injuries, in spite of swift efforts to save her.
Although the tragedy itself is a heartbreaking account of a young life cut short, what happened next has provoked a powerful wave of outrage. The vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild and another cop, Daniel Auderer, had body camera footage published by the Seattle Police Department. Officer Auderer is heard laughing and making reprehensible jokes about Jaahnavi’s untimely death in this video.
He apparently laughed as he reviewed the incident with the guild’s president, Mike Solan, and made jokes about her passing. Anyone with even the slightest humanity has been outraged by his cruel remarks, laughter after declaring that she was dead, and his demeaning statements like “She had limited value,”
The shock and rage caused by this event have spread not only nationally but also internationally. India, in particular, has raised serious concerns with U.S. authorities and urged an in-depth inquiry and punitive action against those in charge of this tragic catastrophe and the awful behavior that followed.
Article By Deby T
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