Death of Jaahnavi Kandula

The death of Jaahnavi Kandula (1999 – January 23, 2023) occurred in Seattle, Washington on January 23, 2023, when Seattle Police Department officer Kevin Dave hit her in his police vehicle as she crossed the street in a marked crosswalk. Kandula was a graduate student from India at Northeastern University's Seattle campus preparing to graduate with a master's in Information Systems in December 2023. Dave was driving 74 mph without a continuous siren while responding to a drug overdose call, and the street had a normal speed limit of 25 mph, making his speed a Class "A" traffic violation subject to a $440 fine. Kandula died after the collision threw her 138 ft.

On September 11, 2023, the Police Department released body camera footage of Seattle Police Department officer Daniel Auderer—the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild—laughing and making jokes about the situation shortly after evaluating Dave for potential impairment during the fatal collision. Auderer was on a phone call with police union president Mike Solan, and he said that Kandula had "limited value" so the city should "just write a check [for] $11,000". The footage was forwarded to the Seattle Office of Police Accountability and an investigation into Auderer's conduct was opened; Leesa Manion, the King County Prosecuting Attorney, also announced a criminal review of Dave's actions. The released footage prompted condemnation and the Consulate General of India in San Francisco stated that the footage was "deeply troubling" and called for an investigation.

On September 13, 2023, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell released a condolence letter written to Kandula's family. By September 29, Auderer had been suspended from patrol duty.

On February 21, 2024, the King County Prosecutor's Office decided against filing criminal charges against Dave. Manion stated that the criminal review did not turn up enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Dave had acted with recklessness or criminal negligence, as required under Washington State law. The decision drew widespread criticism from communities in India and the US. The Kandula family declared their intent to pursue civil actions against Dave and the Seattle Police Department. On July 17, Auderer was announced as having been fired.