The Mayor of Seattle has issued an apology for the death of an Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula.
This comes in the wake of a viral bodycam video in which Officer Daniel Auderer was heard making light of the incident, wherein Jaahnavi Kandula lost her life in a collision involving a police car earlier this year.
Mayor Bruce Harrell issued an apology to the Indian community for the insensitive comments made by Daniel Auderer. “Members of the Indian community have come together because of the unfortunate and insensitive remarks I believe were made. We are making sure that our apology as city officials is felt to your community and family, my condolences for your loss,” he said.
Also Read: Who was Jaahnavi Kandula, the Indian student who was killed by US cop in Seattle
Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz also extended his condolences for the tragic passing of the 23-year-old individual. “We are here to continue to listen. We had these insensitive comments, we will ensure that it never ever occurs. We value human life,” he said.
Approximately 20 individuals, who represented the Indian community in the area, held a meeting with the Seattle Mayor and Police Chief on Saturday. During the meeting, both the mayor and the police chief reaffirmed their dedication to establishing a Seattle where “every neighbour feels safe, heard, and respected.”
The US government has provided assurance to India of conducting a prompt and impartial investigation into the tragic demise of Jaahnavi Kandula.
Also Read: Jaahnavi Kandula’s death: ‘Videos taken out of context’, says Seattle Police
Earlier this week, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco has raised concerns over the handling of an Indian-origin woman, Jaahnavi Kandula, who was killed by a police vehicle, and has also demanded a thorough investigation and action against those involved.
In the video, Officer Daniel Auderer can be heard laughing about the fatal accident and even stated that there was no necessity for a criminal inquiry into his colleague Kevin Dave, who was operating the vehicle.
“But she is dead…No, it’s a regular person. Yeah, just write a cheque,” he is heard, before laughing again. “Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26, anyway. She had limited value.”
Also Read: US cop makes joke about death of Indian girl who got killed in road accident, probe launched
The video was made public on Monday, several months after Kandula’s death. The release came with a concise statement indicating that it had been brought to attention by a Seattle Police Department staff member during their regular duties.
Jaahnavi Kandula, daughter of a single mother hailed from Andhra Pradesh. She was pursuing her master’s degree at Northeastern University in Seattle and went to the US in 2021 from Bengaluru on a student exchange program. Her uncle Ashok Mandula had told Seattle Times in January that Jaahnavi was due to graduate in December this year.
On 23 January, 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 Auderer, a drug recognition expert, was assigned to evaluate whether Dave was impaired, The Seattle Times reported.
