SEATTLE — Since a Seattle Police Department (SPD) officer’s comments regarding the death of a 23-year-old Seattle woman in January became public on Sept. 11, several agencies are speaking out.
In the fatal January collision, a Seattle officer was responding to an emergency and traveling 74 mph in a 25 mph zone when the officer struck and killed 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula, who was walking in a crosswalk.
Body camera footage, recently released by the department, recorded Seattle officer Daniel Auderer saying, "but she is dead" and laughing while on the phone the day after the incident. Auderer, who is the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), was not involved in the January collision.
"She was 26 anyway," Auderer said in the video. "She had limited value."
NBC News reports Auderer was speaking on the phone with SPOG President Mike Solan.
On Wednesday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell sent a letter to Kandula’s family expressing his condolences on behalf of the Seattle community.
“While I did not know Jaahnavi personally, I understand that she was a caring, kind, and smart young woman who has a very bright and promising future ahead of her,” he wrote. “I share your grief that her life was tragically cut short.”
While he did not mention the Seattle Police Department specifically, Harrell wrote in the letter, “I want to be clear that the comments made by one person do not reflect the feelings of our city or the communities that call it home.”
“We recognize that Jaahnavi’s death is a loss for the whole community – the loss of a young woman who has so much life ahead of her to do amazing things and share that joy with loved ones,” Harrell wrote in part.
Kandula was a graduate student from India, who was also working to support her mother who lives in India.
The Consulate General of India in San Francisco issued a statement on Wednesday, calling the handling of Kandula’s death “deeply troubling.”
In addition to contacting authorities in Seattle and in Washington, D.C., the consulate is calling for a “thorough investigation” and for action to be taken against those involved in her death, according to a social media post on Sept. 13.
On Sept. 13, Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales requested Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz take action against Auderer for his comments.
“As the department and Seattle’s police officer’s guild ask for more funding for recruitment and hiring, it’s becoming clear the top deterrent to attracting high-quality officers may be the culture of the department itself,” said Morales, who is running for re-election to the city council.
Morales’ city council opponent Tanya Woo issued a statement on Sept. 12 about the incident, saying she is “deeply disturbed” by Auderer’s comments and that she believes accountability must be a priority within the police force.
Meanwhile, retired King County Sheriff John Urquhart expressed strong distaste for the officer's comments on a scale that goes beyond Seattle.
“It’s horrendous. It’s horrendous for the Seattle Police Department, for the deputy’s career, for the profession, not just in Seattle but nationwide," Urquhart said. “The chief needs to look into this guy’s heart. What really is going on there. And that could affect what decision he makes, as well.”
On Thursday, the office of Gov. Jay Inslee issued a statement also urging for an investigation.
"It’s hard to think of more hurtful things to say to magnify the scope of an already terrible tragedy than what is said in that video. It warrants an investigation of the whole incident," the statement reads.
Northeastern University, where Kandula was studying as a graduate student at the Seattle campus, said on Thursday that the university will award her degree posthumously and present it to her family.
Kenneth W. Henderson, the chancellor and senior vice president of learning for the university, said SPD's comments add pain to the already tragic incident.
"Callous and insensitive remarks by a Seattle police officer have become public, reopening wounds and deepening our collective heartbreak," Henderson said. "We also recognize that our Indian student community—across all Northeastern campuses—has been especially impacted by this tragedy and its aftermath. We stand in solidarity with you and have every expectation that the ongoing investigations will bring a measure of justice and accountability."