Seattle's interim police chief announced Monday that he has fired the Seattle police officer who struck and killed an Indian-origin graduate student with his car while responding to an overdose call in January 2023.
Interim Police Chief Sue Rahr said in an email to employees that Kevin Dave violated four police department policies in connection with the death, including holding officers accountable for safe operation of patrol cars. The Seattle Police Accountability Office wrote that he was fired based on the decision. According to Jaahnavi Kandula: seattle times.
“I believe that the officer had no intention of harming anyone that night and was attempting to contact a potential overdose victim as quickly as possible,” Rahr wrote.
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Photo of Jaanavi Kandula with flowers, January 29, 2023, Seattle. (Ken Lambert/Seattle Times, via AP)
“However, I cannot accept the tragic consequences of his dangerous driving,” she continued. “His aggressive intentions do not mitigate the poor decisions that caused loss of life and discredited the Seattle Police Department.”
Rahr's announcement comes after King County prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to prove that Dave had a conscious disregard for his safety beyond a reasonable doubt when he struck and killed Kandula. This comes nearly a year after he announced that he had declined to pursue felony charges against him.
The Seattle City Attorney's Office later issued Dave with a $5,000 citation for negligent driving.
The Seattle City Attorney's Office issued Dave a $5,000 citation for negligent driving. (St. Petersburg)
City prosecutors said Dave was driving at a speed of 114 mph on a road with a 25 mph speed limit before hitting Kandura. Dave initially contested the ticket, but recently paid the fine and agreed to complete an eight-hour road safety course within a year and perform 40 hours of community service by September 30th. did.
Kandula's death sparked outrage in the United States and India, especially after footage from another police officer's body-worn camera was released. In the recording, the officer, Daniel Oderer, laughed and suggested that Kandura's life had “limited value” and that the city should “write a check.”
Indian diplomats called for an investigation, and a civilian watchdog in Seattle found that comments by Mr. Oderer, a former union leader, tarnished the police department's reputation and eroded public trust.
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City prosecutors said Dave was driving at a speed of 114 mph on a road with a 25 mph speed limit before hitting Kandura. (Seattle Police Department/File)
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Mr. Oderer was ultimately fired for his comments.
Kandula's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dave and the city, alleging that Kandula suffered severe emotional distress, pain and suffering before dying from his injuries. The family said they are seeking damages of $110 million plus $11,000. The case is scheduled to go to trial in September.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
