Current:Home > reviewsSeattle officer’s remarks about death of graduate student from India violated policy, watchdog says -Mastery Money Tools
Seattle officer’s remarks about death of graduate student from India violated policy, watchdog says
View
Date:2025-04-13 23:17:10
SEATTLE (AP) — A Seattle police officer violated policing standards when he made callous remarks about the death of a graduate student from India who was struck by another officer’s vehicle in a crosswalk last year, the city’s Office of Police Accountability said this week.
Police Chief Adrian Diaz will decide on discipline, which could include termination, for officer Daniel Auderer after members of the chief’s chain of command discussed the findings and recommendations from the watchdog group at a disciplinary hearing that was held Tuesday, The Seattle Times reported. Auderer is also vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild.
Civilian OPA Director Gino Betts Jr. did not announce his discipline recommendations. They were sent to Diaz, who must justify his findings in writing if they differ.
The watchdog group had been investigating Auderer since September, when police officials heard audio from his body camera recorded hours after the death of 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula, who was struck and killed in a crosswalk by officer Kevin Dave’s SUV on Jan. 23, 2023.
Dave was driving 74 mph (119 kph) in a 25 mph (40 kph) zone on the way to an overdose call and started braking less than a second before hitting Kandula, according to a report by a detective from the department’s traffic collision investigation team. It determined that Dave was going 63 mph (101 kph) when he hit Kandula and his speed didn’t allow either of them time to “detect, address and avoid a hazard that presented itself.”
The vehicle’s emergency lights were activated and Dave “chirped” his siren immediately before the collision, the report said, adding Kandula was thrown 138 feet (42 meters).
A criminal investigation is pending. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office hired an outside firm last fall to review the police investigation. Its results are expected within a few weeks.
Betts concluded in his report that Auderer’s statements — in which he laughed, suggested Kandula’s life had “limited value” and said the city should just write a check for $11,000 — damaged the department’s reputation and undermined public trust on a scale that’s difficult to measure.
“(His) comments were derogatory, contemptuous, and inhumane,” Betts wrote. “For many, it confirmed, fairly or not, beliefs that some officers devalue and conceal perverse views about community members.”
Auderer violated policies that say officers should strive to act professionally at all times, according to the report. The department prohibits “behavior that undermines public trust,” including “any language that is derogatory, contemptuous, or disrespectful toward any person.”
The city’s Office of Inspector General, which reviews and certifies police disciplinary investigations, found Betts’ conclusions “thorough, timely and objective.”
There was no immediate response to messages sent Wednesday by The Associated Press seeking comment from the police department, the union or Auderer.
Auderer inadvertently left his body-worn camera on as he called union President Mike Solan after he left the crash scene, where he had been called to determine whether Dave was impaired.
Solan and Auderer have said their call was private, mostly union-related and never intended to be made public. The Seattle Police Officers Guild has called the comments “highly insensitive.”
They have sparked outrage around Seattle, nationally and in India. Seattle’s Office of Police Accountability has said the department received nearly 400 complaints.
Auderer was reassigned to desk duty pending the outcome of the investigations.
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- How Kim Kardashian Really Feels About Hater Kourtney Kardashian Amid Feud
- Gabby Douglas, 3-time Olympic gold medalist, announces gymnastics comeback: Let's do this
- Sarah Jessica Parker Teases Carrie & Aidan’s “Rich Relationship” in And Just Like That Season 2
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Looking for a New Everyday Tote? Save 58% On This Bag From Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James
- California’s Relentless Droughts Strain Farming Towns
- When an Oil Company Profits From a Pipeline Running Beneath Tribal Land Without Consent, What’s Fair Compensation?
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Russia increasing unprofessional activity against U.S. forces in Syria
Ranking
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- What to know about the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio
- An Offshore Wind Farm on Lake Erie Moves Closer to Reality, but Will It Ever Be Built?
- Suspect charged in Gilgo Beach serial killings cold case that rocked Long Island
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- 24 Bikinis for Big Boobs That Are Actually Supportive and Stylish for Cup Sizes From D Through M
- Driven by Industry, More States Are Passing Tough Laws Aimed at Pipeline Protesters
- Polar Bears Are Suffering from the Arctic’s Loss of Sea Ice. So Is Scientists’ Ability to Study Them
Recommendation
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Gabby Douglas, 3-time Olympic gold medalist, announces gymnastics comeback: Let's do this
Why Cynthia Nixon Doesn’t Want Fans to Get Their Hopes Up About Kim Cattrall in And Just Like That
Stars of Oppenheimer walk out of premiere due to actors' strike
Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
HarperCollins and striking union reach tentative agreement
Former NFL players are suing the league over denied disability benefits
This week on Sunday Morning (July 16)