Protestors Demand Accountability For Officer Who Laughed About The Death Of Jaahnavi Kandula

Hundreds of protestors marched in South Lake Union to demand accountability for the Seattle police officer who fatally struck Jaahnavi Kandula with his car in January and the vice president of the Seattle police officers guild who was heard on tape mocking the death just hours later.

In bodycam footage released by Seattle police on Monday, officer Daniel Auderer is heard joking about the incident inside his vehicle.

“Yeah, just write a check. $11,000,” Auderer said, then laughed. “She was 26, anyway. She had limited value.”

The protestors made their way to the west precinct, where they continued to air their demands. 

The tape outraged many who attended the rally at the intersection of Thomas Street and Dexter Avenue, where Kandula was killed by officer Kevin Dave. He was allegedly driving up to 75 miles an hour when he struck her.

“I think about Jaahnavi’s mom in India who was waiting for her daughter to call home,” said Gemini Gnull, who spoke at the protest. “And at the same time that she's waiting for her daughter, these killer cops are laughing, laughing at her death. It makes it makes me sick, man. It makes me sick.”

Ray Mitchell, with the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said the police don’t want take responsibility.

“They waited eight months. They -- they're not interested in real accountability,” said Mitchell. They tried to sweep the death of Jaahnavi Kandula under the rug when it first happened. This is not an organization that is dedicated to really protecting the citizens.”

Auderer was speaking on the phone with Guild President Mike Solan, but Auderer is the only one whose voice was recorded.

“But she is dead,” Auderer said, then laughed.

“The two men who were caught on camera laughing about her death, Mike Solan and Daniel Auderer, the president and vice president, respectively, of the Seattle police officers Guild--They need to be fired,” Mitchell said. “Daniel Auderer was the only one actually on camera laughing, but someone was that was on the call. He did nothing to argue with it. He seemed entirely complicit.”

Mayor Bruce Harrell, speaking at an unrelated event earlier in the day, said he couldn’t speak directly about the investigation, but he sent a letter to Kandula’s family.

“I expressed to the parents and to the family members how what was recorded does not at all reflect the sense of mourning and sense of loss and the sense of grief that I have, and that this city has,” Harrell said.

For Mitchell, it’s not enough.

“If it's not backed by real political action. I don't think that that's good enough. It's really easy to say words,” said Mitchell. “If you're a politician, you have a responsibility to do a lot more than say you're sorry. I think you have a responsibility to make things happen.”

Mathieu Chabaud said he was not surprised about Auderer’s comments.

“I was not surprised at all. I was a bit surprised to see that Auderer had reported himself to try and dodge out of some of the blame and was trying to pass off as a joke,” Chabaud said. “But it didn't surprise me at all that these jokes had been made in the first place. We know that this is what they talk about us behind closed doors.”

John Lee, who marched with the protestors to show solidarity, said Auderer needs to resign—at a minimum. 

“Pretty atrocious behavior, especially from professionals, adults. That guy needs to lose his job and probably more consequences,” Lee said.

The case has been referred to the Office of Police Accountability, but such investigations can take months to complete.