Seattle, WA

Seattle police officer recorded on body camera laughing about Northeastern student’s death fired by department

Published

6 months ago

July 21, 2024

Seattle police officer recorded on body camera laughing about Northeastern student’s death fired by department

The Seattle Police Department officer who was heard on body camera footage last year laughing and joking about the death of a Northeastern graduate student was fired July 17, officials confirmed to The News.

Interim Chief of Police Sue Rahr terminated the officer, Daniel Auderer, after an internal investigation by the Seattle Police Department, or SPD, found that he violated the department’s professionalism policy, SPD told The News July 18. In body camera footage released by the department in September 2023, Auderer was recorded laughing and saying that 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula, a graduate student at Northeastern’s Seattle campus, had “limited value” after she was fatally struck by a police cruiser in January 2023.

In an internal email to the department confirmed by The News, Rahr said that Auderer’s “cruel comments and callous laughter about [Kandula’s] tragic death” caused pain to her family and “immeasurable damage” to public trust of SPD and law enforcement officials across the world.

“This case has been covered extensively in the public, has garnered international media and diplomatic attention, and I am confident that everyone in this organization has had the opportunity to learn about the case and hear for themselves the officer’s words,” Rahr wrote in the email, noting that it is “unusual” for a police chief to explain the reason behind a termination to the department. “I am choosing to share the outcome of this case with all of you because the far-reaching impact of the officer’s actions reflect on all of us, not just as members of the Seattle Police Department but on the profession of law enforcement.”

Auderer, who was hired by the department in 2008, made the crude remarks while on the phone with Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mark Solan the day after Kandula’s death. Kandula was struck by SPD officer Kevin Dave Jan. 23, 2023, while walking in a crosswalk, according to an incident report.

During the phone call, which Auderer unintentionally recorded on his body camera, Auderer said that Kandula was “a regular person” and suggested “[writing] a check … $11,000, she was 26 [sic] anyways, she had limited value.”

Auderer’s remarks resulted in international outrage and received widespread scrutiny from the Northeastern community, prompting a response from Northeastern’s Chancellor and Senior Vice President of Learning Ken Henderson, who called Auderer’s actions “callous and insensitive.”

Auderer was reassigned to a non-operational position in October 2023, SPD told The News at the time. In January, Seattle’s Office of Police Accountability, or OPA, found that Auderer violated SPD’s policies of professionalism and biased-based policing.

In her email to the department, Rahr said she had to balance “intent versus impact” when deciding whether to terminate Auderer, adding that Auderer intended the conversation with Solan to be “private” and that he was engaging in “gallows humor.”

“Gallows humor is a common coping behavior among those who routinely witness traumatic events,” Rahr wrote. Merriam-Webster defines “gallows humor” as humor that “makes fun” of life-threatening or serious situations. “Most of us in law enforcement have engaged in gallows humor from time to time,” she said.

Rahr also said that Auderer is “well-regarded, if not beloved,” by his peers and superiors.

“He has done many positive and noteworthy things during the course of his career. I expect that many of you will disagree with my decision, and perhaps be angry,” her email reads. Auderer’s colleagues wrote letters of support for the officer amid the investigation into his conduct, according to a disciplinary action report, or DAR, produced by SPD and obtained by The News.

According to OpenOversight, a database that provides public data about law enforcement, Auderer has been the subject of 29 OPA complaints since 2014. The complaints include allegations of misuse of force and biased policing, and 14 of them resulted in sustained findings or recommendations for supervisory action.

In the DAR, Rahr wrote that the decision to terminate Auderer included consideration of his previous violations of the professionalism policy. In 2018, the officer reportedly “ridiculed” a subject after she told him she was unable to follow his instructions due to a medical condition. In 2017, Auderer pretended to be a pizza delivery person while helping arrest a subject even though he was off-duty and outside of his jurisdiction, Rahr wrote in the DAR.

“Thus, the insensitivity you demonstrated in this case cannot be characterized as a one-off,” Rahr wrote in a letter to Auderer notifying him of his termination. “There is evidence that your lack of professionalism has not been confined to instances in which you thought you were speaking privately.”

In her email to the department, Rahr said she has had conversations with community members who she described as “very ‘pro-police’” who thought the “dehumanizing laughter” was “more outrageous and disturbing than the death of Ms. Kandula.”

“Our government gives police officers the authority to deprive people of their liberty and in the most extreme circumstances, their life,” Rahr wrote. “This authority rests on the public’s trust that officers will demonstrate respect for the sanctity of human life. The officer’s laughter and callous comments about the ‘limited value’ of Ms. Kandula’s life displayed a cruel mockery of the sanctity of her life. That is a betrayal of that sacred trust.”

According to the DAR, Auderer had two hearings with SPD leadership to defend himself from misconduct allegations — one with Rahr and one with former SPD Chief Adrian Diaz, who stepped down in May amid controversy surrounding allegations of rampant sexual and racial discrimination in the department, PBS reported.

In the meetings, Auderer and his representatives from the Seattle Police Officers Guild defended the officer of bias allegations, saying that Auderer did not know Kandula’s “name, race or ethnicity” and was laughing at the “absurdity of the situation,” according to the DAR.

“[The representative] acknowledged all of the media attention and public outcry this case generated but argued that ‘clicks and complaints are not evidence’ that [Auderer] engaged in biased-based policing,” the DAR reads. Rahr agreed that Auderer did not violate the policy and said she would take steps to overturn OPA’s finding on that allegation.

In his hearing with Rahr, Auderer told her that he was “born” to be a SPD officer and loved the job, acknowledging that trust is the “most important aspect” of the work, according to the DAR.

“Trust is gained in drips and lost in buckets: I’ve dumped my bucket over,” Auderer told Rahr, adding that he wanted to “refill [the] bucket drip by drip.” The report said Auderer issued a “heartfelt apology” in the hearing and said he wished he could “bear the pain” for Kandula’s family.

Auderer previously told OPA that his comments were intended to mock lawyers that could be tasked with litigating the case and reiterated that he thought the conversation was private, according to the DAR.

Seattle Councilmember Tammy Morales released a statement July 18 saying Rahr made the right decision to fire Auderer but that it “shouldn’t have taken a year and a half to happen.” Morales also called for discipline of Dave, who was driving at 74 mph in a 25 mph zone when he struck Kandula, according to the incident report.

Dave was issued a traffic infraction for negligent driving in March, but prosecutors announced in February they would not pursue criminal charges against him for Kandula’s death. In May, The Seattle Times reported that Dave was late in paying a $5,000 ticket related to the collision.

Rahr said in the DAR that terminating an officer for violating the professionalism policy is rare but that the circumstances in the case are unique.

“Your comments here were so derogatory, hurtful and damaging to community trust, that this case is unique, both in terms of the inhumanity of your comments and laughter, and in the devastating impact they have had,” she wrote to Auderer in his termination letter.

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Seattle, WA

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Published

5 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Manuhunt underway for Mason County assault suspect

Mason County deputies are looking for a man wanted in a shooting in Belfair on Monday.

MASON COUNTY, Wash. – The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a convicted felon wanted in a recent shooting.

The sheriff’s office says Michael Allen Beyer is wanted for first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Deputies believe Beyer was involved in a shooting that happened in Belfair on January 6.

Beyer is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding Beyer’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Helser at 360-427-9670 x657, or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Seattle, WA

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Published

13 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.

At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.

Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.

“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”

Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.

More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift

A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike

Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.

“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.

The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”

Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.

More from Jason Rantz: Democrats blame Los Angeles fires on climate change to deflect from their own complicity

Will more restaurants close?

Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.

Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.

“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”

More from Jason Rantz: Here’s why Seattle residents vow to stop tipping in new year

Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people

The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.

Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.

Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.

One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”

KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.

Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz

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Seattle, WA

Reports: Seattle Seahawks to interview 2 candidates for OC job

Published

21 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Reports: Seattle Seahawks to interview 2 candidates for OC job

A pair of candidates have surfaced in the Seattle Seahawks’ search for a new offensive coordinator.

An NFL insider’s view on Seahawks OC change and what’s next

The Seahawks are scheduled to interview Detroit Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley and Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown, according to multiple reports. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero first reported the news Thursday morning.

Seattle will interview Fraley on Friday and Brown on Saturday, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

The Seahawks moved on from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb on Monday after an up-and-down season for Seattle’s offense that included one of the worst rushing attacks in the league.

Fraley, 47, has been on Detroit’s coaching staff for the past seven seasons, including the past five as the team’s offensive line coach. Fraley has coached an offensive line that’s paved the way for one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks. The Lions rank third in Pro Football Focus’ run block grading and finished the regular season sixth in both rushing yards per game (146.4) and yards per carry (4.7).

During his time in Detroit, Fraley has helped develop four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow and three-time Pro Bowl right tackle Penei Sewell. As a player, Fraley started 123 games at center and guard over a 10-year NFL career with the Eagles (2001-05), Browns (2006-09) and Rams (2010). According to Breer, Fraley has done groundwork in searching for a pass game coordinator that he would pair with as an OC.

Brown, 38, began the season as Chicago’s passing game coordinator. He then was promoted to offensive coordinator when Shane Waldron, a former Seahawks assistant, was fired as OC on Nov. 12, and then to interim head coach when Matt Eberflus was fired on Nov. 29. Brown went 1-4 as the Bears’ interim head coach.

Brown was the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator in 2023. Prior to that, he spent three seasons under head coach Sean McVay in various roles on the Los Angeles Rams’ coaching staff.

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