Seattle police officer who ran over Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula in crosswalk will not face charges

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Feb 22, 2024, 7:43 AM IST

Seattle police officer Kevin Dave will not face criminal charges in the fatal collision that resulted in the death of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula. The King County Prosecutor's Office cited insufficient evidence for pressing charges.

Following the tragic death of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula, who was struck and killed by a Seattle police officer responding to an overdose call, authorities have announced that no criminal charges will be filed against the involved officer, Kevin Dave. The decision, attributed to a lack of sufficient evidence, was announced by the King County Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday.

Kandula, aged 23, lost her life on January 23 when Officer Dave's speeding patrol vehicle collided with her as she crossed a street in Seattle. The officer was reportedly driving at 74 mph (more than 119 km/h) en route to the drug overdose call, resulting in Kandula being thrown 100 feet upon impact.

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In a released statement, King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion expressed the difficulty of the decision. The statement read, 'Ms Kandula’s death is heartbreaking and impacted communities in King County and across the world. It is the responsibility of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO) to review all available evidence relating to the case involving Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave and the January 2023 collision death of Jaahnavi Kandula. After staffing this case with senior deputy prosecuting attorneys and office leadership, I have determined that we lack sufficient evidence under Washington State law to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt.'

'The PAO finds the comments made by Seattle Police Officer Daniel Auderer, recorded on his body-worn video, appalling and deeply troubling. Officer Auderer’s comments were also unprofessional and served to undermine the public’s trust in the Seattle Police Department and law enforcement in general. As egregious as Officer Auderer’s comments are, they do not change the PAO’s legal analysis of the conduct of Officer Dave. It is the Office of Police Accountability that bears the responsibility of disciplinary investigation and proceedings relating to Officer Auderer’s comment, not the PAO,' the statement added.

Despite concerns raised by bodycam footage showing Auderer, making insensitive comments about the incident, the focus remained on the evidence surrounding Officer Dave's actions.

While the comments made by Officer Auderer were deemed "appalling and deeply troubling" by authorities, the legal analysis concerning Officer Dave's conduct remained unchanged. Officer Auderer himself faces disciplinary action separate from the criminal investigation.

An investigation revealed that Officer Dave did not continuously activate his siren but had emergency lights on as he responded to the "priority one" call. However, prosecutors concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove conscious disregard for others' safety on Dave's part.

Kandula, a graduate student at Northeastern University's Seattle campus, will be posthumously awarded her degree, according to the university's statement from January 2023.

Officer Auderer's disciplinary hearing is scheduled for March 4, with potential consequences ranging from suspension to termination pending the outcome of the proceedings. The decision to not press criminal charges against Officer Dave has ignited discussions about police accountability and public trust in law enforcement.

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