Seattle, WA
India 'strongly' raises Jaahnavi Kandula case with authorities after cop who killed her escapes charges
In bodycam footage released 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.
On Wednesday, the King County Prosecutorâs Office said they would not move forward with criminal charges against Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave due to a lack of evidence to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt.
India’s consulate in Seattle also said it was monitoring the progress in the case and will extend all possible support in ensuring justice for Kandula and her family.
“On the recently released investigation report of the King County Prosecution Attorney on the unfortunate death of Jaahnavi Kandula, the Consulate has been in regular touch with the designated family representatives and will continue to extend all possible support in ensuring justice for Jaahnavi and her family,” the mission said in a post on X.
“We have also raised the matter strongly with local authorities, including Seattle Police for appropriate redress. The case has now been referred to the Seattle City Attorneyâs office for review,” the post said on Friday.
It also said the mission was waiting for the completion of Seattle Police’s administrative investigation and will continue monitoring the progress in the case.
Members of the South Asian community as well as local people had staged protests demanding justice for the Indian student who died tragically.
In the statement on Wednesday, the King County Prosecuting Attorney said: “Kandulaâs death is heartbreaking and impacted communities in King County and across the world.”
King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said that she believes they lack the evidence to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt, the statement said.
“It is the responsibility of the King County Prosecuting Attorneyâs Office to review all available evidence relating to the case involving Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave and the January 2023 collision death of Jaahnavi Kandula. After staffing this case with senior deputy prosecuting attorneys and office leadership, I have determined that we lack sufficient evidence under Washington State law to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The statement also said that the prosecutor’s office finds the comments made by Seattle Police Officer Daniel Auderer, recorded on his body-worn video, “appalling and deeply troubling”.
Auderer, who was not involved in the January collision, was captured in the video saying, “But she is dead” and laughing while on the phone.
She was 26 anyway,” Auderer said in the video. “She had limited value.”
“Officer Audererâs comments were also unprofessional and undermined the publicâs trust in the Seattle Police Department and law enforcement in general,” said Manion.
“As egregious as Officer Audererâs comments are, they do not change the PAOâs legal analysis of the conduct of Officer Dave. It is the Office of Police Accountability that bears the responsibility of disciplinary investigation and proceedings relating to Officer Audererâs comment, not the PAO.”
Auderer was pulled from patrol in September 2023 and reassigned to a “non-operational position”.
Auderer could still be fired after the fallout of his insensitive comments captured on bodycam.
Auderer’s chain of command and the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) found he acted unprofessionally. For that, he faces the highest disciplinary range of nearly two weeks suspension up to termination, according to a disciplinary action report.
Seattle local media reported that speed was the cause of the collision, as the speed at which Dave was travelling did “not allow (Kandula) or him sufficient time to detect, address and avoid a hazard that presented itself”.
Dave was responding to a “priority one” call at the request of the Seattle Fire Department, according to the Seattle Police Department. According to the police report, the officer was responding to a report of a drug overdose.
The officer did not have his siren activated continuously. Instead, the officer “chirped” his siren at the intersection. He did have his emergency lights on, according to a previous statement from the police department.
In a memo to Seattle police, prosecutors wrote there was not enough evidence to prove Dave showed “conscious disregard for others safety”.
A drug recognition expert responded to the scene and found no impairment in the officer.
Kandula was a graduate student at Northeastern University at the Seattle campus. The university in January 2023 said they would award her degree posthumously and present it to her family.
One of the Seattle Seahawks’ biggest rivals delivered the first big shockwaves of the 2026 offseason.
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Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a deal that would send four draft picks to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for All-Pro cornerback and former UW Huskies standout Trent McDuffie, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday morning.
McDuffie, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract, is expected to sign a long-term extension with the Rams, according to Schefter.
Shortly after the news broke, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard gave his reaction on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
“This feels like a direct move to match up with JSN and the Seahawks,” Huard said.
Widely considered to be the two best teams in the NFL this past season, the Seahawks and Rams squared off in three epic battles, capped by Seattle’s 31-27 win over Los Angeles in the NFC Championship.
Over those three games, the Rams’ shaky secondary struggled to contain NFL receiving leader and AP Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks star wideout totaled 27 catches for 354 yards and two touchdowns across those three matchups, including 10 catches for 153 yards and a TD in the NFC title game.
Smith-Njigba also had a career-high 180 receiving yards and two touchdowns in an overtime loss to the Rams in 2024.
“It’s kind of like an old NBA world,” Huard said. “Like, alright, we know we’re gonna have to deal with Jordan or we’re gonna have to deal with Pippen or we’re gonna have to deal with Bird. Like, how do we match up? And (the Rams) know that that was the one area – in their back seven – that could not match up.”
Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation at this link or in the audio player in the middle of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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The countdown to the FIFA World Cup hit a milestone Tuesday, approximately 100 days from the start of the global soccer tournament, which is being played this time in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Seattle is one of 16 host cities for the tournament, with the first game at Lumen Field scheduled for June 15.
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City leaders at a press conference on Tuesday described specific changes underway to welcome an estimated 750,000 people during the six matches, from adding new artwork in downtown to bolstering security.
“Our aim is actually to revitalize, reinvigorate, rejuvenate the downtown core,” Seattle World Cup Organizing Committee CEO Peter Tomozawa stated.
People who take a trip through downtown Seattle will see that part of that work has started in anticipation of the World Cup, with 53 colorful paintings on the columns of the monorail, showcasing the flags of the countries of the competing teams.
“In just 100 days, people will come back to Seattle and will be using the system to travel back and forth to various events related to [the] FIFA World Cup,” Seattle Monorail Services Megan Ching said.
“The visitors who are coming here for the World Cup are already booking their trips: where to stay, how to get around and what to explore,” added Jorge Gotuzzo with Visit Seattle.
Darkalinos restaurant hopes the events planned for Pioneer Square will convince new customers to return beyond the tournament.
“The summer season is what keeps us going,” General Manager Crystal Hernandez told KOMO News. “We’re going to have a beer garden in the plaza. There will be some live music outside.”
Behind the scenes, work continues to plan for crowd control and security. That means round table meetings and partnerships at the international, federal, state and local levels.
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“We’ve been working on the security plan for over three years,” Tomozawa explained. “We hired former SPD Chief John Diaz to design the plan and I have to say this is one of our highest priorities, for sure.”
Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO Jon Scholes adds that businesses are eager to build on the success of the recent Seahawks Super Bowl parade. He said there will be watch parties for the matches at Westlake, Pacific Place and along the waterfront.
“Seattle’s a big event town, and we can do it well and produce a lot of joy for hundreds of thousands of people,” Scholes stated.
The World Cup Organizing Committee mentioned Seattle’s walkability makes it a great location for the tournament. It’s why they also announced a new walking path to connect multiple neighborhoods that will stay beyond the summer.
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It’s called the Unity Loop, runs about four-and-a-quarter miles and will connect the stadiums, waterfront, Seattle Center, Westlake and the CID, but no specifics were provided.
SEATTLE — A 36-year-old man was arrested after Seattle police say he threw rocks at passing cars in South Seattle early Tuesday, shattering a truck window and injuring a couple in their 50s.
Patrol officers responded at 12 a.m. to reports of a man hurling rocks near Rainier Avenue South and South Henderson Street.
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Police said they found the couple with facial injuries after their truck window shattered. Firefighters treated both victims at the scene, and the couple then drove to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
Officers found the suspect nearby and arrested him. According to the police report, the man made “multiple threats to shoot officers in the head and kick and punch officers before and after being placed into custody.”
Police also spoke with a King County Metro transit supervisor who reported that two Metro coaches had damage to their windshields and route destination signs after being struck by rocks. Police said no drivers or passengers were hurt.
More witnesses also told police they saw the suspect throwing rocks at moving vehicles.
Police said the suspect is a convicted felon and was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of assault, malicious mischief, and property destruction. Detectives in the General Investigations Unit are assigned to the case.
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