Protesters march through downtown Seattle after body camera footage was released of a Seattle police officer joking about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old woman hit and killed in January by officer Kevin Dave in a police cruiser on September 14, 2023, in Seattle.
| Photo Credit: AP

Demanding sensitivity, respect and jail for killer police officers who were responsible for the killing of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula, more than 100 members of the South Asian community held a rally on the site where she was struck and killed by a speeding police patrol car.

Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street on January 23. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call.

In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary.

Also Read | Comments taken out of context, says Seattle police officer; online petition seeks his termination

Over 100 members of the Seattle area’s South Asian community gathered at Denny Park on Saturday and made their way to the intersection where Kandula was hit.

They held signs saying “Jaahnavi had more value than Seattle Police Department” and “Justice for Jaahnavi, jail killer cops.” The rally was put together by UTSAV, which means festival or celebration, an organisation based in Bothell that helps connect South Asians with their communities.

“We’re not a monolith, the Indian community,” Rep. Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue, said to the crowd.

“There’s diaspora in the community, but we are all united today.”

Video from the night of the crash has sparked international outrage over the officer’s comments.

On Saturday, rally attendees pointed out that Kandula’s life did have value.

Shifali Jamwal, who brought her 3-year-old son, said Kandula was a master’s student and moved to America for her education so “her life would have more value.”

“I can only imagine what Jaahnavi’s mom is going through,” Ms. Jamwal said.

Another attendee, Kyla Carrillo, 25, called Auderer’s comments “completely disrespectful.

“Not even unbelievable, not shocking, but just for [him] to value somebody’s life as such was disrespectful,” she said.

As people marched through the Dexter and Thomas crosswalk, one car continued moving forward, honking at protesters, despite several yield for pedestrian signs.

Between lanes at the intersection, marchers lit tea lights spelling out “Jaahnavi” and laid bouquets underneath a sign.

Kandula was set to graduate this coming December with a master’s degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. Her family said she was working toward supporting her mother in India.

Saddened by Kandula’s death, Kenneth W. Henderson, Chancellor of Northeastern University in a statement issued on the varsity’s official Facebook page on Friday said that.” Her loss will be felt deeply by students, staff, and faculty. The university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family.

Earlier Saturday, community members met with Seattle’s mayor and police chief regarding the release of the footage.

They said they do not endorse eliminating police, but that Seattle must improve training, and stay engaged with the South Asian community. Statements by Mayor Bruce Harrell to date, that the offensive remarks represent an isolated incident, don’t go far enough to deal with the system and police culture, leaders said.

Arun Sharma, founder of UTSAV, said the organization plans to escalate action if the Police Department doesn’t take action against Auderer and Dave.

“Let’s not wait for another major incident like this to wake us up,” Mr. Sharma said. “Immigrants die by a thousand cuts.” Before dispersing, protesters chanted “Who had unlimited value? Jaahnavi Kandula. Say her name. Jaahnavi Kandula.”

The Seattle Police Officers’ Guild on September 15 came out in defence of its official, who was found making insensitive comments after the death of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula early this year, saying some viral videos of police actions shared by media fail to explain the full story and context.

Kandula, a student at Washington’s Northeastern University, was struck by officer Kevin Dave at a pedestrian crossing on the night of January 23, 2023. He was driving at a speed of more than 119 kmh on the way to a report of a drug overdose call.

In a bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary.

In the video, Mr. Auderer can be heard saying, “Yeah, just write a cheque. $11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value.” “The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet…,” the Seattle Police Officers Guild said in a statement as it also released a letter written by its officer Auderer in which the latter is saying that he intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers.

In the letter dated August 3 to the Office of Police Accountability, Mr. Auderer said he laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how he has watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy.

“At the time I believed the conversation was private and not being recorded. The conversation was also not within the course of my duties,” he wrote in his letter to Gino Betts, director Office of Police Accountability.

“On January 23, 2023 I was dispatched from home to assist with a fatality collision involving a city vehicle,” he said.

“While enroute home I called Mike Solan to give him an update regarding what had occurred. The phone call was inadvertently recorded on my BWV which had turned on. The conversation took place in my patrol car. I was the only occupant. During that phone call Mike Solan stated something to the effect that it was unfortunate that this would turn into lawyers arguing ‘The value of human life.’,” he wrote.

“Mike Solan asked me as he was lamenting the loss of life something similar to: ‘What crazy argument can a lawyer make in something like this? What crazy thing can they come up with.’ 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 minimize the payment,” Mr. Auderer wrote.

“I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I have watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy. At the time I believed the conversation was private and not being recorded. The conversation was also not within the course of my duties,” he said.

“I understand that without context, the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude. Without context, the comment is insensitive to the family of the victim when in reality I was involved in a conversation regarding the callousness of the legal system. At the time I had no idea who the victim was,” he wrote.

Auderer said he does understand that if a citizen were to hear it that they would rightfully believe he was being insensitive to the loss of a human life. “I also understand that if heard it could diminish the trust in the Seattle Police Department and make all of our jobs more difficult. With all of that being said the comment was not made with malice or a hard heart, quite the opposite.

“My intent in requesting rapid adjudication is to be as transparent as possible. I am willing to accept any reasonable discipline our accountability partners and the Chief of Police wish to hand down,” he said.

The Seattle Police Officers’ Guild in its statement said some viral videos of police actions shared by media fail to explain the full story/context.

“This Seattle Police video is an example of that reality. The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet… SPOG has full confidence that the civilian led police accountability system known as the Office of Police Accountability / OPA will conduct a thorough and fair investigation,” the guild wrote.

Upon being made aware of the existence of this video, Auderer immediately took ownership of his actions and authored a statement requesting that the Director of OPA (Gino Betts) consider the course of “Rapid Adjudication”, the statement read.

“Rapid Adjudication is a disciplinary process that was agreed to by the City of Seattle and the SPOG to expedite police employee misconduct investigations so accountability can be swiftly addressed, and reasonable discipline imposed. This was done by Dan more than 4 weeks before the release of the video,” the guild said.

Meanwhile, an online petition has been launched and signed by thousands of people seeking to terminate mr. Auderer.

“By allowing Auderer to remain in a position where he interacts with the public, we are putting our community at risk. His actions have shown that he does not prioritize public safety nor respect the rights and dignity of individuals under his jurisdiction,” said the online petition on Change.org.

`Auderer was captured on his body camera making a disturbing statement in the moments following the accident, suggesting that Jaahnavi’s life had “limited value.” When the bodycam footage was leaked this week, several petitions were started on Change.org demanding accountability.

“We call upon Mayor Jenny Durkan, City Council members, and other relevant authorities to prioritize the well-being of our community by addressing these issues promptly. We want justice. Jaahnavi is our daughter, our sister,” said Nishtha Raheja Goel who launched the online petition. By Friday night, the petition had more than 6,700 signatures.

The petitioners urge the authorities responsible for overseeing law enforcement personnel decisions in Seattle to immediately terminate Auderer from his position, conduct thorough background checks during recruitment processes, implement stricter accountability measures within law enforcement agencies and provide comprehensive training on empathy, cultural sensitivity, and appropriate behavior towards victims and their families.

“By taking these actions, we can restore trust in our police force and ensure the safety of all residents in Seattle. Let us stand united against those who abuse their power and demand justice for Jaahnavi Kandula and all victims who have suffered due to Daniel Auderer’s actions,” the petition says.

Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant in a statement called for an immediate, independent, public investigation into this outrage.

“Auderer, who is the Vice President of the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild (SPOG), a deeply reactionary organization which has fought against every measure of police accountability, should be immediately fired. Mike Solan, the President of SPOG, should also be fired from the Seattle Police Department,” she said.

The OPA has failed to hold police accountable, and our city’s working people need an independently elected community oversight with full powers over the police, including hiring and firing, and policies and procedures.

“Seattle Police officer Auderer cackled in response to the death of Kandula, a young Indian exchange student, after she was run over by officer Dave’s police vehicle, saying her life “had limited value. Auderer’s callous disregard for human life shown in this video is particularly chilling, because he has a publicly funded gun with the authority to use lethal force,” Sawant said.

New Delhi:

The family of Jaahnavi Kandula, the young woman who died in the United States in January after being hit by a patrol car, has raised serious questions over the delay in release of bodycam footage in which a Seattle police officer is heard laughing about the horrific incident.

Ms Kandula’s grandfather said the young woman’s parents had been left “deeply distressed” by the video and that it had added to trauma and depression her mother continues to face; “This makes it worse. How can anyone speak like that after a tragic accident?” he asked.

“My daughter brought Jaahnavi up with great difficulty!”

“Why wasn’t this information revealed earlier? We have lost our child… but this is beyond shocking… and how can they say the car was not over-speeding?” he continued. The family is “not in a state to even react to this (the bodycam footage)”, her grandfather added.

READ |India Seeks Probe After US Cops Caught Joking Over Andhra Student’s Death

Meanwhile, Ms Kandula’s family has also released a statement.

“It is truly disturbing and saddening to hear insensible comments on the bodycam video from an SPD officer regarding Jaahnavi’s death. Jaahnavi is a beloved daughter and beyond any dollar value for her mother and family. We firmly believe that every human life is invaluable and should not be belittled, especially during a tragic loss.”

Ms Kandula was a 23-year-old student at Northeastern University, from where she was due to graduate with a degree in information systems in December. According to a Seattle Times report from that day – January 25 – she was hit by a speeding police car while trying to cross a road.

The Bodycam Footage

The footage was released Monday – months after Ms Kandula was killed – with a brief statement that said it had been flagged by Seattle Police Department employee “in the routine course of business” who expressed “concern about the nature of statements heard” on the video.

The SPD said it was releasing the video “recognizing public concern… in the interest of transparency” and that it would not comment further pending the completion of an investigation.

Ms Kandula was not jaywalking – i.e., crossing the road at any point other than a zebra crossing.

In the video, Officer Daniel Auderer can be heard laughing about the incident and declaring there is no need for a criminal investigation against his colleague, Officer Kevin Dave, who was driving.

What Happened To Jaahnavi Kandula?

A SPD report released in June said the patrol car – being driven by Officer Kevin Dave – was travelling at 74 miles per hour (119 km per hour). The inquiry also determined the speed of the vehicle was the main reason for the collision, the Seattle Times said in another report.

The car began braking less than a second before it hit Ms Kandula and was travelling at about 63 miles per hour (101 km per hour) at the time of impact. Ms Kandula was thrown 138 feet.

The speed limit on the street where she was hit was 25 miles per hour, or 40 km per hour.

The officers were responding to a 911 call but, significantly, Ms Kandula “had right of way”; the law states police can exceed speed limits in certain cases but not if that will endanger lives.

US Assures Probe

The United States government has promised a swift but fair investigation into Ms Kandula’s death. This comes after the Indian consulate in San Francisco demanded an inquiry.

Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula’s death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC

— India in SF (@CGISFO) September 13, 2023

Senior officials of President Joe Biden’s administration have reportedly assured Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s Ambassador to the US, the incident is being taken very seriously.

With input from agencies

New Delhi:

The family of Jaahnavi Kandula, the young woman who died in the United States in January after being hit by a patrol car, has raised serious questions over the delay in release of bodycam footage in which a Seattle police officer is heard laughing about the horrific incident.

Ms Kandula’s grandfather said the young woman’s parents had been left “deeply distressed” by the video and that it had added to trauma and depression her mother continues to face; “This makes it worse. How can anyone speak like that after a tragic accident?” he asked.

“My daughter brought Jaahnavi up with great difficulty!”

“Why wasn’t this information revealed earlier? We have lost our child… but this is beyond shocking… and how can they say the car was not over-speeding?” he continued. The family is “not in a state to even react to this (the bodycam footage)”, her grandfather added.

READ |India Seeks Probe After US Cops Caught Joking Over Andhra Student’s Death

Meanwhile, Ms Kandula’s family has also released a statement.

“It is truly disturbing and saddening to hear insensible comments on the bodycam video from an SPD officer regarding Jaahnavi’s death. Jaahnavi is a beloved daughter and beyond any dollar value for her mother and family. We firmly believe that every human life is invaluable and should not be belittled, especially during a tragic loss.”

Ms Kandula was a 23-year-old student at Northeastern University, from where she was due to graduate with a degree in information systems in December. According to a Seattle Times report from that day – January 25 – she was hit by a speeding police car while trying to cross a road.

The Bodycam Footage

The footage was released Monday – months after Ms Kandula was killed – with a brief statement that said it had been flagged by Seattle Police Department employee “in the routine course of business” who expressed “concern about the nature of statements heard” on the video.

The SPD said it was releasing the video “recognizing public concern… in the interest of transparency” and that it would not comment further pending the completion of an investigation.

Ms Kandula was not jaywalking – i.e., crossing the road at any point other than a zebra crossing.

In the video, Officer Daniel Auderer can be heard laughing about the incident and declaring there is no need for a criminal investigation against his colleague, Officer Kevin Dave, who was driving.

What Happened To Jaahnavi Kandula?

A SPD report released in June said the patrol car – being driven by Officer Kevin Dave – was travelling at 74 miles per hour (119 km per hour). The inquiry also determined the speed of the vehicle was the main reason for the collision, the Seattle Times said in another report.

The car began braking less than a second before it hit Ms Kandula and was travelling at about 63 miles per hour (101 km per hour) at the time of impact. Ms Kandula was thrown 138 feet.

The speed limit on the street where she was hit was 25 miles per hour, or 40 km per hour.

The officers were responding to a 911 call but, significantly, Ms Kandula “had right of way”; the law states police can exceed speed limits in certain cases but not if that will endanger lives.

US Assures Probe

The United States government has promised a swift but fair investigation into Ms Kandula’s death. This comes after the Indian consulate in San Francisco demanded an inquiry.

Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula’s death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC

— India in SF (@CGISFO) September 13, 2023

Senior officials of President Joe Biden’s administration have reportedly assured Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s Ambassador to the US, the incident is being taken very seriously.

With input from agencies

A photo of Jaahnavi Kandula is displayed with flowers, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Seattle, at the intersection where she was killed by a Seattle Police officer driving north while responding to a nearby medical incident.
| Photo Credit: AP

The Biden administration has assured the Indian government of a quick investigation into the death of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula in Seattle after being struck by a speeding police patrol car and bringing to justice the police officers who were responsible for it.

The U.S. government swung into action after India’s Ambassador to the U.S., Taranjit Singh Sandhu, strongly raised the issue at the highest level in Washington and sought prompt action on the killing of Kandula, and the highly insensitive behaviour of the police officer in Seattle in Washington State.

Kandula was killed in January after she was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmph) on the way to a report of an overdose, the Seattle Times newspaper reported on Monday.

In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary.

U.S. lawmakers and Indian-Americans have expressed outrage over the death of Kandula.

The Biden administration has assured the Indian government of a quick investigation into the incident and bringing to justice the police officers who were responsible for it.

Senior administration officials are believed to have assured the Ambassador and the Indian government that the entire incident has been taken very seriously by them.

They are monitoring its investigation from Washington DC the progress of the case to ensure that there is adequate accountability.

Officials said that they were “shocked” and “horrified” at this incident.

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco on Wednesday termed the handling of Kandula’s death as “deeply troubling”.

“We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle and Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation and action against those involved in this tragic case,” the mission said in a post on platform X.

“The Consulate & Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities,” it added.

“Jaahnavi Kandula came here for graduate work from India. She was killed on a crosswalk by a speeding police car, and Officer Auderer said her life had “limited value.” I thought of my dad who came here in his 20s. Mr. Auderer, the life of every Indian immigrant has infinite value,” Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said.

“Anyone who thinks that a human life has “limited value” should not be serving in law enforcement,” Mr. Khanna said.

Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said: “This is appalling. I hope to see justice for Jaahnavi Kandula’s family and accountability for those involved.” In a letter to the Kandula family, Seattle City Mayor Bruce Harrell said that the comments made by one person do not reflect the feelings of the city or the communities that call it home.

“We recognise that Jaahnavi’s death is a loss for our whole community – the loss of a young woman who had so much life ahead of her to do amazing things and share that joy with loved ones,” Mr. Harrell said in his communication to the Kandula family.

Indian Consul General in San Francisco Ashok Mandula has been in constant touch with the officials from Seattle City and Washington State on this issue.

Expressing his deepest condolences to the Kandula family, Harrell said the “community is heartbroken and mourns alongside your family, friends and everyone who shared the privilege of knowing” her. Expressing condolences on the untimely passing of Kandula, community leader Ajay Bhutoria said her death reminds of the importance of safety and respect for all individuals in the community.

“We are deeply troubled by the unfortunate statement and poor conduct displayed by a Seattle police officer during this incident. Regardless of one’s background or circumstances, every individual deserves dignity, fairness, and compassion,” he said.

Describing this as unacceptable behaviour, Mr. Bhutoria said it is crucial that incidents like these are rigorously examined, and accountability is upheld to maintain community trust in the law enforcement agencies.

“As a community, we must unite to support Jaahnavi’s family and advocate for positive change. We urge authorities to take swift action to address this situation and implement measures to prevent such tragic incidents in the future,” Mr. Bhutoria said.

The Seattle Office of Police Accountability said that it has opened an investigation into the incident and they need to complete it before January 29.

Washington:

The US government has assured India of a quick and fair investigation into the death of Andhra Pradesh student Jaahnavi Kandula in an accident in Seattle, reports news agency PTI. The Indian student was killed after being hit by a speeding police car in January.

A video released by Seattle Police Department showing a cop laughing while talking about the accident has sparked outrage. The US government swung into action after Indian consulate raised the issue and sought action against those responsible for Jaahnavi Kandula’s death and also those heard joking on the video.

.. for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case.
The Consulate & Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities.@IndianEmbassyUS@MEAIndia

— India in SF (@CGISFO) September 13, 2023

In the video, Officer Daniel Auderer can be heard laughing about the deadly crash and also says that there was no need for a criminal investigation against his colleague Kevin Dave, who was driving the car.

US lawmakers and Indian-Americans have expressed outrage over the death of Kandula and the video.

“Jaahnavi Kandula came here for graduate work from India. She was killed on a crosswalk by a speeding police car, and officer Auderer said her life had ‘limited value.’ I thought of my dad who came here in his 20s. Mr. Auderer, the life of every Indian immigrant has infinite value,” Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said.

“Anyone who thinks that a human life has “limited value” should not be serving in law enforcement,” Khanna said.

Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said: “This is appalling. I hope to see justice for Jaahnavi Kandula’s family and accountability for those involved.”

In a letter to the Kandula family, Seattle City Mayor Bruce Harrell said that the comments made by one person do not reflect the feelings of the city or the communities that call it home.

“We recognise that Jaahnavi’s death is a loss for our whole community – the loss of a young woman who had so much life ahead of her to do amazing things and share that joy with loved ones,” Harrell said in his communication to the Kandula family.

Senior administration officials are believed to have assured India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, that the entire incident has been taken very seriously by them.

They are monitoring its investigation from Washington DC the progress of the case to ensure that there is adequate accountability.

(With PTI inputs)

A photo of Jaahnavi Kandula is displayed with flowers, on Jan. 29, 2023 in Seattle, at the intersection where she was killed by a Seattle Police officer driving north while responding to a nearby medical incident.
| Photo Credit: AP

A bodycam footage of a police officer joking about the death of a 23-year-old Indian student after she was struck by a speeding police patrol car earlier this year in Seattle has prompted India to raise the matter strongly with the U.S. authorities for a thorough investigation and action against those guilty in the case.

Jaahnavi Kandula was killed in January after she was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmph) on the way to a report of an overdose, the Seattle Times newspaper reported on Monday.

In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary.

Commenting the reports, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco on Wednesday termed the handling of Kandula’s death in a road accident as “deeply troubling”.

“We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case,” the mission said in a post on platform X.

“The Consulate & Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities,” it added.

In the footage, Auderer, the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, was on a call with the guild’s president, Mike Solan. He laughed several times, saying at one point, “Yeah, just write a cheque.” “Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway,” Auderer said in the video, misstating Kandula’s age.

“She had limited value,” he was quoted as saying.

Auderer said that Dave’s vehicle had been “going 50” and that “that’s not out of control,” NBC News reported.

A police investigation report referred to prosecutors for review last month said that Dave had been driving at 74 mph, and Kandula was thrown more than 100 feet after the impact.

“That’s not reckless for a trained driver,” Auderer said in the video, adding that he doesn’t believe “she was thrown 40 feet either,” the report said.

“But she is dead,” he said, laughing and adding, “No, it’s a regular person.” Only Auderer’s side of the conversation was audible in the bodycam footage.

Meanwhile, Auderer said that he made the comment 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,” Auderer was quoted as saying. “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 added.

“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.” The Office of Police Accountability confirmed that an investigation had been initiated after the agency received a complaint on August 2 from an employee with the Seattle Police Department.

The oversight agency, which investigates police misconduct and recommends discipline to the police chief, is investigating “the context in which” the statements were made and whether any policies had been violated, the police department said.

Kandula, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, had been pursuing her master’s degree at Northeastern University in Seattle, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser launched to support her family.

“The family has nothing to say,” her uncle, Ashok Mandula, was quoted as saying in the report.

“Except I wonder if these men’s daughters or granddaughters have value. A life is a life,” he said.

Meanwhile, another Seattle police oversight organisation, the Community Police Commission, described the audio as “heartbreaking and shockingly insensitive.” “The people of Seattle deserve better from a police department that is charged with fostering trust with the community and ensuring public safety,” it said in a press release.

“Especially in light of this video, the hard work toward ensuring that the Seattle Police Department reflects the values of the community it polices, and embraces transparent accountability, will remain a top priority for the Seattle Community Police Commission,” it added.

An investigation has been launched against Seattle police union leaders after an officer was recorded on his body camera laughing and joking about an Indian-origin woman who was killed by a police patrol vehicle in January this year, the New York Post reported. 

In the video released on Monday, Officer Daniel Auderer can be heard discussing the investigation into the accident involving graduate student Jaahnavi Kandula, who was killed by his colleague, Officer Kevin Dave, on January 23. The 23-year-old was a master’s student at Northeastern University’s Seattle campus.

In the clip, Seattle Police Officers’ Guild Vice President Daniel Auderer, in a call with the guild’s president, can be heard saying, “She is dead” before bursting out into laughter and calling Ms. Kandula “a regular person”. He further said, through bursts of laughter, “Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars.”

The clip ends with him saying: “She was 26 anyway, she had limited value”, getting her age wrong.

Here’s the footage:

The Seattle Community Police Commission (CPC) issued a statement Monday following the release of the video, calling the conversation between Mr Auderer and his colleague, “heartbreaking and shockingly insensitive.”

”The people of Seattle deserve better from a police department that is charged with fostering trust with the community and ensuring public safety,” the CPC added.

Meanwhile, the Seattle police department, which released the video “in the interest of transparency,” said it would not comment on the matter until the Police Accountability Office concludes its investigation into the incident.

Notably, Ms. Kandula, a native of the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, died after being struck by a Seattle police patrol vehicle in South Lake Union. The Seattle police department in a statement said that the officer driving the marked patrol SUV was travelling northbound on Dexter Avenue North when responding with Seattle Fire Department to a “priority one call.” The female pedestrian was crossing from east to west in the crosswalk when the vehicle hit her, according to the statement.

Initially, Auderer reported the officer was driving his car at 50 MPH and was not ”out of control”. However, later, the police investigation found that the car was at 74 MPH when it hit Ms Kandula. According to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, the cause of death was multiple blunt-force injuries.

Jaahnavi Kandula was a student at the Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union and was on track to receive a master’s degree in information systems this December.