US cop who fatally hit Indian student in Seattle won’t face criminal charges

Lack of sufficient evidence to pursue the case was cited as the reason.

• Shubham
• 22 February, 2024

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By: Shubham Ghosh

KEVIN Dave, a police officer in Seattle who knocked down an Indian student while driving too fast through a busy area resulting in her death, will not face criminal charges due to absence of sufficient evidence, authorities said.

On Wednesday (21) the King County prosecutor’s office in Seattle in the US state of Washington said they will not move ahead with the case against Dave while acknowledging in a statement that the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, was heartbreaking and affected communities in King County and across the world.

Kandula, who was from the southern Indian city of Hyderabad and studied in the Northeastern University in Seattle, was hit by Dave’s speeding vehicle while crossing a street on January 23 last year. The officer was responding to a drug overdose call and was driving at a speed of 120 kmph at the time of the collision.

Read: Kandula death: Seattle cops’ body defends accused officer, says some viral videos taken out of context

The student was thrown 100 feet and died instantly.

The Seattle Police Department released bodycam footage last September in which Dave’s colleague Daniel Auderer, who was dispatched to help with the fatality collision, was heard laughing about the accident and even dismissing any implication that the former might be at fault or that a criminal probe was required.

He was also heard saying that Kandula was 26 and had “limited value”. The footage caused a major controversy and Auderer was pulled from patrol and reassigned to a “non-operational position”. Kandula’s family in India reacted to the remarks saying they were “truly disturbing and saddening”.

Read: Rally in Seattle seeking justice for Jaahnavi Kandula: ‘Absolutely disgusting’

Prosecuting attorney Leesa Manion said while it was the responsibility of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to review all available evidence related to the case, she “determined” that there was lack of sufficient proof under the state law of Washington to prove a criminal case “beyond a reasonable doubt”.

The Indian government had raised the issue with the US administration and it had assured a quick investigation into the matter.