Bodycam Captures Seattle Police Officer Joking About Woman's Death
Summary from AllSides News Team
A Seattle Police Department union leader is facing backlash after his body camera captured him laughing and joking about an incident where a woman was struck and killed by a police officer.
Details: On January 23, Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, was struck and killed by Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave. In a video released this week, Officer Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, laughs and says Kandula’s life had “limited value” and the city should “just write a check.” Auderer defended his words, stating, “I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers. 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.”
Response: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) stated Thursday, “Jaahnavi Kandula was killed by a speeding police car. Then, police officers joked about her death and devalued her life. I’m sick to my stomach. This is exactly what happens when we normalize xenophobia and racism. It needs to stop.” Seattle Councilmember Lisa Herbold stated, “While I am angry and disappointed to hear the way that this detective talked about a fatal collision, I am appreciative that the accountability system is working to find and daylight this type of culture within the department so that we can continue to push to shift and reform the Police Department.”
How the Media Covered It: The incident is being covered prominently in left-rated outlets. Coverage from right-rated outlets is minimal.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Center
Handling of Jaahnavi Kandula’s death brings criticism from Seattle leaders
Seattle elected officials are calling for increased police accountability after release of footage of an officer joking following the death of a woman struck and killed by another officer’s vehicle.
In footage released Monday, officer Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, joked about the death of 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula after she was fatally struck in January by officer Kevin Dave’s vehicle in a South Lake Union crosswalk.
After responding to the collision, Auderer accidentally captured himself on body camera footage talking on the phone to Mike...
From the Right
Seattle council member calls for firing of cop Daniel Auderer, who was filmed after deadly crash saying Jaahnavi Kandula had 'limited value'
A Seattle city councilwoman is calling for the firing of cop Daniel Auderer, the man filmed saying a college student run over by a police cruiser had 'limited value' - though he claims the remarks have been taken out of context.
Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, was run down by a speeding police SUV as she was crossing a heavily marked crosswalk near the Seattle graduate college campus in the South Lake Union neighborhood on January 23.
Detective Daniel Auderer - who was not in the car that hit the student, but was...
From the Left
In recording, a Seattle police officer joked after woman’s death. He says remarks were misunderstood
A city watchdog agency is investigating after a body-worn camera captured one Seattle Police Department union leader joking with another following the death of a woman who was struck and killed by a police cruiser as she was crossing a street.
Daniel Auderer, who is the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, responded to the Jan. 23 crash scene where another officer, Kevin Dave, struck and killed Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, in a crosswalk. Dave was driving 74 mph (119 kmh) on the way to an overdose call, and...
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