No charges for Seattle police officer in Indian student’s death

Seattle police officer, Kevin Dave, cleared of criminal charges in the tragic death of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula due to insufficient evidence

The King County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday that the Seattle police officer, Kevin Dave, who ran over and killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula while responding to an overdose call, will not be facing any criminal charges due to lack of sufficient evidence

The decision not to pursue criminal charges against Officer Kevin Dave was based on a lack of conclusive proof to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, according to the statement released by the King County prosecuting attorney.  

 The bodycam footage from the incident revealed Officer Daniel Auderer making callous and inappropriate remarks, which were condemned by the prosecutor’s office for undermining public trust in law enforcement.  

Despite the troubling comments made by Auderer, the focus of the legal analysis remains on Officer Dave’s actions during the collision. Auderer, who was removed from patrol duty and reassigned following the incident, faces disciplinary proceedings for his unprofessional behavior.  

The investigation highlighted speed as a contributing factor to the collision, with the officer’s response to a priority call being scrutinized for not allowing sufficient time to avoid the tragic outcome. The lack of continuous activation of the siren and the absence of impairment in the officer, as confirmed by a drug recognition expert, was noted in the police report. Kandula, a graduate student at Northeastern University, will be posthumously awarded her degree by the university in honor of her memory. 

Source: Newsroom