Seattle cop fired over remarks about Indian graduate student’s death

Officer Daniel Auderer has been fired from the Seattle Police Department, according to an internal email sent to the department on Wednesday evening. Auderer was caught on body camera laughing about the death of an Indian graduate student after she was run over by another officer in 2023.

Interim Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr notified department staff of her decision by email.

“For me to allow the officer to remain on our force would only bring further dishonor to the entire department,” Rahr said. “For that reason I’m going to terminate his employment.”

Rahr said at the root of the case lay “an extremely difficult judgment call of how to fairly balance ‘intent versus impact.’”

She listed several factors she considered when making her decision, including the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a young college student, and her family's grief.

Rahr said that Auderer’s “cruel comments and callous laughter” caused deep pain to Kandula’s family and damaged the public’s trust in the department.

“I believe the impact of his actions is so devastating that it cannot be mitigated by his intent to keep his conversation private,” Rahr wrote.

“The hurt his words have inflicted on Ms. Kandula’s family cannot be erased. The actions [of] this individual police officer have brought shame on the Seattle Police Department and our entire profession, making the job of every police officer more difficult.”

In January 2023, a patrol vehicle traveling more than 70 miles per hour struck Kandula, 23, while en route to a 911 drug overdose call. Kandula, who had been in a marked crosswalk at Dexter Avenue and Thomas Street, was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where she died.

Auderer responded to the scene where he was captured on body camera laughing with Officer Mike Solan, union president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, during a phone call. Auderer was vice president of the police guild.

Auderer is heard laughing after stating, "She is dead." He then says, through more laughter, "Yeah, just write a check ... $11,000. She was 26 anyway. She had limited value."

Auderer later said during an interview that the call was meant to be union business, and that his comments were not meant to mock Kandula but to mock lawyers who debate the value of life after a police killing.

Despite his claims that the video took his comments out of context, the scandal made global headlines and harmed community trust in Seattle police at a critical time.

In a statement on Wednesday night, Mayor Bruce Harrell said, “Effective policing requires public trust. It cannot be effective if the people being served have doubts about our officers' motivations, conduct, or character. I support Chief Rahr’s decision because it recognizes our values of accountability, continuous improvement, and the public trust necessary for our police officers to protect the people of Seattle.”

Harrell said Auderer's comments "damaged the relationship between our Seattle Police Department and the communities our officers strive to keep safe."

The Indian American Community Services issued a statement on Wednesday night, thanking agencies involved:

"We hope that this decision from the Seattle Police Department will now be followed with continued engagement to address community needs, particularly our vulnerable communities with a culturally nuanced lens identifying the need to bring clarity to laws and guidance addressing speed, use of sirens and dashing lights."

Chief Rahr’s decision to fire Auderer was bolstered by an earlier report from the Office of Police Accountability, which said Auderer broke policing standards when he made “inhumane” comments and laughed about a woman who was struck and killed by a police vehicle last year.

Gino Betts, director of the Office of Police Accountability, Seattle’s police watchdog agency, said in a press release at the time that Auderer’s comments were “derogatory, disturbing, and inhumane.”

“The officer’s comments undermined public trust in the department, himself, and his colleagues,” Betts said. “For many, it confirmed, fairly or not, beliefs that some officers devalue and conceal disparaging views about community members.”

Seattle police commanders also condemned Auderer’s behavior in January.

The commanders recommended the strongest possible discipline — 30 days without pay or possible termination.

Kandula was a 23-year-old graduate student from India, attending Northeastern University in Seattle. She was studying for a Master of Science in Information Systems and was scheduled to graduate in December 2023.

This story includes previous reporting by Ashley Hiruko and Amy Radil.