INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
WASHINGTON: Seattle police and law enforcement agencies are investigating several police officers, including some union members, after a
body-camera audio-video showed them laughing and downplaying the death of a young Indian student hit by a speeding police cruiser.Jaahnavi
Kandula, 23, a student at Washington's Northeastern University, was struck at a pedestrian crossing on the night of January 23 by a police
patrol car driven by officer Kevin Dave traveling at 74 miles an hour in a 25 mph zone.Another officer, later identified as Seattle Police
reported the incident to SPOG President Mike Solan.Part of their conversation conducted from a police cruiser runs like this: "I think she
went up on the hood, hit the windshield, and then when he hit the brakes threw off the car
(cackling laughter follows)"No, its a regular person," he continues
"Yeah, just write a check (laughs)..
eleven thousand dollars..
she had limited value."Although the incident took place on January 23, the video of the exchanges, officially released on September 11 while
announcing an investigation, has shocked and outraged a nation all too familiar with callous police behavior
part of his duties as a SPOG representative
He then self-reported the incident to the OPA (Office of Police Accountability) "when he realized the incomplete conversation would sound
bad," according to the local media
But the Seattle police, which put out the footage on youtube on September 11, said "the video was identified in the routine course of
business by a department employee, who, concerned about the nature of statements heard on that video, appropriately escalated their concerns
into the context in which those statements were made and any policy violation that might be implicated
Officer Auderer's conversation, callous and insensitive as it is, also contains inaccuracies
for a trained driver, when he was actually traveling at 74 miles an hour, according to a report cited in the local media.SPD said it
The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, which covers the Seattle area, is also conducting a criminal review of the incident.The
"deeply troubling" and it has "taken up the matter strongly" with local authorities in Seattle - Washington State as well as senior
officials in Washington DC
It called for a "thorough investigation - action against those involved in this tragic case."Meanwhile, Auderer claimed his comments were
meant as a mockery of lawyers, according to KTTH radio station in Seattle.He noted that Solan "lamented" the young woman's death during the
two officers' initial conversation, adding that it was unfortunate that her death would "turn into lawyers arguing 'the value of human
life.'" "I responded with something like: 'She's 26 years old
What value is there? Who cares?' I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers," "I was imitating what a lawyer tasked with negotiating the
case would be saying and being sarcastic to express that they shouldn't be coming up with crazy arguments to minimise the payment," he was
"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," the officer said.According to the report, Auderer acknowledged that anyone listening to the body-camera
recording "would rightfully believe I was being insensitive to the loss of human life" and said the comment "was not made with malice or a
hard heart."02:13Watch: Ohio authorities release footage in Ta'Kiya Young's fatal shooting incident
