News Release:
Thursday, September 14, 2023Updated:
Thursday, September 14, 2023
SEATTLE — Body-camera footage was released Monday of a Seattle police officer joking about the death of a 23-year-old woman, Jaahnavi Kandula, who died in January after she was struck by a Seattle Police officer while crossing the street. Officer Daniel Auderer could be heard on camera laughing about the incident that killed Jaahnavi Kandula, saying her life had “limited value” and the city could “write a check.”
Enoka Herat, Policing and Immigration Policy Program Director at the ACLU of Washington, had the following statement:
“The comments made by Officer Auderer are abhorrent and highlight the urgent need for a real transformation of policing culture and practices at the Seattle Police Department (SPD). At the very least, we expect officers to uphold the law, protect and serve all community members, and value each of our lives. To suggest Jaahnavi Kandula or anyone’s life has ‘limited value’ is a horrifying comment for an officer to make and leads us to question the department’s ability to keep people in Seattle safe. These comments were made public after a recent decision by a judge to end many aspects of federal oversight of the Seattle Police Department. We said then that ending federal oversight does not mean ‘mission accomplished.’ These disgusting comments, in addition to footage released over the summer showing that a mock tombstone of Damarius Butts, another person of color killed by SPD officers, was on display in a precinct, further prove that SPD is not a transformed organization. The city must hold Officer Auderer and the department accountable for the violence and harm they continue to cause, so that all Seattle residents feel valued and safe. Our thoughts are with Jaahnavi’s family.”
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Enoka Herat, Policing and Immigration Policy Program Director at the ACLU of Washington, had the following statement:
“The comments made by Officer Auderer are abhorrent and highlight the urgent need for a real transformation of policing culture and practices at the Seattle Police Department (SPD). At the very least, we expect officers to uphold the law, protect and serve all community members, and value each of our lives. To suggest Jaahnavi Kandula or anyone’s life has ‘limited value’ is a horrifying comment for an officer to make and leads us to question the department’s ability to keep people in Seattle safe. These comments were made public after a recent decision by a judge to end many aspects of federal oversight of the Seattle Police Department. We said then that ending federal oversight does not mean ‘mission accomplished.’ These disgusting comments, in addition to footage released over the summer showing that a mock tombstone of Damarius Butts, another person of color killed by SPD officers, was on display in a precinct, further prove that SPD is not a transformed organization. The city must hold Officer Auderer and the department accountable for the violence and harm they continue to cause, so that all Seattle residents feel valued and safe. Our thoughts are with Jaahnavi’s family.”
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