The Seattle police officer who struck and killed college student Jaahnavi Kandula while responding to an emergency call has been convicted of a traffic violation.
Some human rights groups and locals protested the prosecutor's decision as prosecutors confirmed Friday that no charges would be filed against officer Kevin Dave.
Dave's police cruiser was traveling at 74 miles per hour on the way to an overdose call when it fatally struck 23-year-old Kandula at a crosswalk in South Lake Union in January 2023.
Prosecutor Ann Davison filed a traffic violation lawsuit against Dave in Seattle Municipal Court after prosecutors found no evidence that he was impaired or driving recklessly at the time.
The 35-year-old police officer faces a fine of up to $5,000 for the second-degree negligent driving violation.
The Seattle police officer who struck and killed college student Jaahnavi Kandula (pictured) while responding to a 911 call has been charged with a traffic violation
Bodycam footage shows Office Kevin Dave performing CPR on the victim on January 23 last year, shortly after he hit her with his patrol car
Some human rights groups and locals protested the prosecutor's decision after prosecutors confirmed on Friday that no criminal charges would be filed against officer Kevin Dave (pictured).
Activists have accused the lawyer of “reducing” Kandula’s life to a “traffic violation.” “She was a person who deserved to live,” one person wrote on X.
A petition calling for the Washington state officer to be charged with manslaughter has received 234,408 signatures.
The case sparked protests last year after a video emerged of a Seattle police union officer laughing while discussing Kandula's death at the scene.
Officer Daniel Auderer downplayed the computer science student's death in the shocking clip, saying her life had “limited value,” but added that the city should simply “write a check.”
Kandula recently graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in computer science
Auderer later admitted he “messed up,” and Seattle police commanders recommended he be suspended. A disciplinary hearing is scheduled for him on Monday.
Organizers of the petition calling for a manslaughter trial also said Auderer should be fired.
About Kandula, the petition says: “Not only was she mowed down like nothing, but the officers’ conversations after the incident are absolutely shameful and a disgrace to humanity.”
“We demand that these officers be relieved of their duties without pension and that this incident be treated as a homicide and prosecuted.”
“The officer assigned and the supervisor must be investigated.”
“Jaahnavi was NOT NOTHING. She has a family in India, a mother waiting for her daughter to come home for Diwali or Christmas.
“Her mother, an elementary school teacher who took on enormous financial debt to send her daughter to the United States in the hope of a better life: a country she thought was the land of opportunity and the greatest country of the world!”
“Let us affirm the greatness of our country and prove that we still practice “liberty and justice for all!” Action must be taken.
“The disgraceful officials must be held accountable for their racist, inhumane and unethical statements and behavior.”
Detective Daniel Auderer is a drug detective who was tasked with finding out whether Dave was under the influence of alcohol. He concluded that his colleague was sober. In a video, he can be heard laughing and making insensitive comments about Kandula's death
The footage shows Dave behind the wheel of his patrol car, driving at a speed of 74 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone before crashing into Kandula.
The student had crossed the intersection of Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street near campus on January 23, 2023. She died in hospital a day later.
Dave was heard calling dispatch for backup after reports of a pedestrian being hit. He was seen performing CPR on the young woman until several other first responders arrived at the scene.
Police classified the incident as an accident and the officer returned to duty a few days later.
The bodycam footage was first published by Publicola. According to the news outlet, the King County Prosecutor's Office is still deciding whether to charge Dave with a crime.
The intersection's crosswalks are heavily marked with bright yellow reflective turn signals and a large neon sign, and are surrounded by bike lanes and a wide median.
On the body camera, the officer could be heard telling a responding officer, “The lights were on. 'I heard the sirens chirping…she was in the crosswalk.'
“She saw me and ran across the crosswalk.” Striked during my breaks. Started staying where she was supposed to before crossing.'
The video showed the officer speeding through red lights and slowing slightly before hitting the young woman.
Dave was on his way to a priority one call, which police said was classified as the highest priority call. The call was about a man who had overdosed on drugs but did not need to be taken to the hospital.
The video recording also showed intermittent sirens sounding from the officer's patrol car, but they did not sound continuously.
Police said they were not investigating the accident as a use-of-force case and noted that they did not believe the officer intended to hit Kandula.
“At this point in the investigation, we have no reason to believe that the officer intended to strike the woman,” a Seattle Police spokesman previously said.
According to the ministry, Dave has been working as a civil servant since November 2019.
A petition calling for the Washington state officer to be charged with manslaughter has received 234,408 signatures
The case came into the spotlight last year after a video surfaced showing a Seattle police union officer laughing while discussing Kandula's death at the scene
A photo of Jaahnavi Kandula with flowers is on display in Seattle on January 29, 2023
Police said the officer was not suspended, only told to give up his shift after the accident as a “day off” to deal with a “traumatic or disturbing” experience.
Kandula was a graduate student who wanted to get her master's degree in information systems. Her family remembered her as a “brilliant” person.
Her family said her death left a “huge hole” in the hearts of those who knew her.
“We are truly heartbroken. Jaahnavi was a brilliant student with a bright future. Jaahnavi's smile was radiant and her bubbly personality warmed the hearts of everyone she came in contact with.
“She had an innate ability to connect with people from all walks of life,” a statement said.
“Jaahnavi's tragic and untimely death leaves her family and community with a huge hole in the hearts that can never be filled.” She was the daughter of a single mother who teaches elementary school in India.
“Although she earned less than $200 a month, her mother gave Jaahnavi an education and encouraged her to go to the United States in the hope that Jaahnavi would have a better future and a better life abroad. Her mother’s hopes and dreams are now dashed.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help her family pay Ms. Kandula's hospital bills and take care of the student loans she took out for her education.
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