Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

‘She had limited value’: Video shows US police officer laughing over Indian student’s death

Jaahnavi Kandula was killed in Seattle in January after she was struck by a police vehicle driven at 74 mph

‘She had limited value’: Video shows US police officer laughing over Indian student’s death

A BODYCAM footage of a police officer joking about the death of a 23-year-old Indian student after she was struck by a speeding police patrol car earlier this year in Seattle has prompted India to raise the matter strongly with the US authorities.

Jaahnavi Kandula was killed in January after she was struck by a police vehicle driven by officer Kevin Dave. He was driving at 74 mph (more than 119 kmph) on the way to a report of an overdose, the Seattle Times newspaper reported on Monday (11).

In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary.

Commenting the reports, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco on Wednesday (13) termed the handling of Kandula's death in a road accident as "deeply troubling".

"We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case," the mission said in a post on X.

"The Consulate & Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities," it added.

In the footage, Auderer, the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, was on a call with the guild's president, Mike Solan. He laughed several times, saying at one point, "Yeah, just write a cheque."

"Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway," Auderer said in the video, misstating Kandula's age.

"She had limited value," he was quoted as saying.

Auderer said that Dave's vehicle had been "going 50" and that "that's not out of control," NBC News reported.

A police investigation report referred to prosecutors for review last month said that Dave had been driving at 74 mph, and Kandula was thrown more than 100 feet after the impact.

"That's not reckless for a trained driver," Auderer said in the video, adding that he doesn't believe "she was thrown 40 feet either," the report said.

"But she is dead," he said, laughing and adding, "No, it's a regular person."

Only Auderer's side of the conversation was audible in the bodycam footage.

Meanwhile, Auderer said that he made the comment as a mockery of lawyers, according to KTTH radio station in Seattle.

He noted that Solan "lamented" the young woman's death during the two officers' initial conversation, adding that it was unfortunate that her death would "turn into lawyers arguing 'the value of human life.'"

"I responded with something like: 'She's 26 years old. What value is there? Who cares?' I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers," Auderer was quoted as saying.

"I was imitating what a lawyer tasked with negotiating the case would be saying and being sarcastic to express that they shouldn't be coming up with crazy arguments to minimise the payment," he added.

"I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy," the officer said.

According to the report, Auderer acknowledged that anyone listening to the body-camera recording "would rightfully believe I was being insensitive to the loss of human life" and said the comment "was not made with malice or a hard heart."

The Office of Police Accountability confirmed that an investigation had been initiated after the agency received a complaint on August 2 from an employee with the Seattle Police Department.

The oversight agency, which investigates police misconduct and recommends discipline to the police chief, is investigating "the context in which" the statements were made and whether any policies had been violated, the police department said.

Kandula, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, had been pursuing her master's degree at Northeastern University in Seattle, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser launched to support her family.

"The family has nothing to say," her uncle, Ashok Mandula, was quoted as saying in the report.

"Except I wonder if these men's daughters or granddaughters have value. A life is a life," he said.

Meanwhile, another Seattle police oversight organisation, the Community Police Commission, described the audio as heartbreaking and shockingly insensitive.

"The people of Seattle deserve better from a police department that is charged with fostering trust with the community and ensuring public safety," it said in a press release.

Especially in light of this video, the hard work toward ensuring that the Seattle Police Department reflects the values of the community it polices, and embraces transparent accountability, will remain a top priority for the Seattle Community Police Commission," it added.

US lawmakers and Indian-Americans have expressed outrage over the death of Kandula.

The Biden administration has assured the Indian government of a quick investigation into the incident and bringing to justice the police officers who were responsible for it.

Senior administration officials are believed to have assured the Ambassador and the Indian government that the entire incident has been taken very seriously by them.

(PTI)

More For You

Norman Tebbit
Following Thatcher’s third general election victory in 1987, Tebbit stepped back from frontline politics to care for his wife. (Photo: Getty Images)

What was the Tebbit Test and why was it controversial?

LORD NORMAN TEBBIT, the former cabinet minister who introduced the controversial “cricket test” to question the loyalty of migrants, has died at the age of 94. The test, later known as the “Tebbit Test,” suggested that immigrants who supported cricket teams from their countries of origin instead of England were not fully integrated into British society. His death was confirmed on Monday by his son, William, who asked for privacy for the family.

Tebbit first spoke about the test in 1990 as a Conservative MP. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, he said, “A large proportion of Britain's Asian population fail to pass the cricket test. Which side do they cheer for? It’s an interesting test. Are you still harking back to where you came from or where you are?”

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less