Seattle, WA

Seattle Police Officer Who Killed Indian Student With Patrol Car Fired

Published

1 year ago

January 6, 2025

Seattle Police Officer Who Killed Indian Student With Patrol Car Fired

Seattle/Las Vegas:

In a significant development, a Seattle police officer who killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula in January 2023 when the patrol vehicle he was driving struck her, has been fired from the police department, officials said.

Kandula, 23, from Andhra Pradesh, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street in Seattle on January 23, 2023. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 km/h) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call.

Kandula was thrown 100 feet when she was struck by the speeding police patrol vehicle.

According to a report in The Seattle Times on Monday, Interim Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr said that she had fired Dave from the Seattle Police Department.

The report, citing an email sent by Rahr to employees, said she fired Dave on Monday after the Seattle Office of Police Accountability found he had violated four department policies.

“I believe the officer did not intend to hurt anyone that night and that he was trying to get to a possible overdose victim as quickly as possible,” Rahr said.

“However, I cannot accept the tragic consequences of his dangerous driving. His positive intent does not mitigate the poor decision that caused the loss of human life and brought discredit to the Seattle Police Department,” the report said.

The development comes months after another Seattle police officer Daniel Auderer was fired following his insensitive comments and laughter after Kandula’s death.

In bodycam footage released by the Seattle Police Department, Auderer was heard laughing after the deadly crash and had remarked “Uh, I think she went up on the hood, hit the windshield, and then when he hit the brakes, flew off the car…But she is dead.” After making these comments, Auderer “laughed hard for four seconds,” the department’s Disciplinary Action Report said.

Auderer’s body-worn camera also captured him as saying that “Yeah, just write a check. Just, yeah (laughter). USD 11,000. She was 26, anyway. She had limited value.” When asked at an Office of Police Accountability interview about his comments that Kandula had “limited value”, Auderer claimed he was “ridiculing the city attorneys who would be tasked with litigating a potential wrongful death lawsuit.” Rahr had said in an internal email, seen by PTI, that the hurt Auderer’s words inflicted on 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.” The King County Prosecutor’s Office had said that they would not move forward with criminal charges against Dave. The Seattle City Attorney had issued a USD 5,000 traffic infraction against him, according to KomoNews.

The Consulate General of India in Seattle had been working consistently with authorities and law enforcement officials to ensure justice in the case. They have been in regular touch with Kandula’s family representatives and had said that it would continue to extend all possible support in ensuring justice for Kandula and her family. The Consulate said that it would continue to monitor the progress of the case.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Torrent put Olympic captain Hilary Knight on long-term IR – Seattle Sports

Published

6 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Seattle Torrent put Olympic captain Hilary Knight on long-term IR – Seattle Sports

Olympians Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Erin Ambrose have all been placed on long-term injured reserve by their PWHL clubs after sustaining injuries during the Milan Cortina Games.

Kraken sign forwards Ben Meyers, Ryan Winterton to extensions

Knight, a five-time Olympian and captain of the United States team that won gold, will be out of the lineup for the Seattle Torrent indefinitely after sustaining a lower-body injury in Italy, the team announced Friday.

Knight had three goals and three assists for the U.S. at Milan Cortina including a goal in the 2-1 overtime win over Canada in the final. She has three goals and seven assists during the current PWHL season.

USA comes back to beat Canada in OT for women’s hockey gold

“While we’re eager to be at full strength and recognize the anticipation of Hilary’s return, we’re focused on putting her and our team in the best position for a playoff push,” Torrent general manager Meghan Turner said in a statement.

Minnesota Frost captain Coyne Schofield was placed on long-term injured reserve on Friday retroactive to Feb. 19 with an upper-body injury. Coyne Schofield scored three goals for the United States during the Olympics.

“I am incredibly proud of all our Frost Olympians who demonstrated true excellence on the world stage,” general manager Melissa Caruso said in a statement. “We are fully committed to supporting Kendall throughout her recovery, and our medical team will be working diligently to help her prepare for her return to the ice.”

The moves by the Torrent and Frost came a day after the Montreal Victoire announced that Ambrose has been placed on long-term injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 19 for a lower‑body injury suffered while representing Canada in the gold medal game. Ambrose had a pair of assists at the Olympics.

The Victoire’s Marie-Philip Poulin, Canada’s captain in Italy, was listed as day-to-day with an Olympics-related injury.

Victoire general manager Daniele Sauvageau said of the team’s Olympians “we are confident that they will be back in the lineup in the near future.”

PWHL influence apparent at Olympics with OT medal games

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Three trapped after car goes into ditch near Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum

Published

18 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Three trapped after car goes into ditch near Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum

SEATTLE — Firefighters are responding to a car that drove into a ditch near Lake Washington Boulevard East and East Foster Island Road on Friday, according to the Seattle Fire Department.

Crews arriving at the scene reported that three people are trapped inside the car.

Firefighters were working to stabilize the car and get everyone out safely. Crews worked to remove the roof of the car to get everyone out, according to fire officials.

Authorities are urging the public to avoid the area while emergency crews respond.

The crash occurred in the area between the Montlake and Broadmoor neighborhoods, and traffic can be expected as emergency crews respond.

No additional information was immediately available.

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Seattle Kraken fall to Blues 5-1 in 2nd straight loss

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

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Seattle Kraken fall to Blues 5-1 in 2nd straight loss

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dylan Holloway had a hat trick and added an assist in his return from a sprained ankle, Joel Hofer made 23 saves and the St. Louis Blues came off the Olympic break to beat the Seattle Kraken 5-1 on Thursday night.

St. Louis Blues 5, Seattle Kraken 1: Box score

Jordan Kyrou and Holloway — activated from injured reserve before the game — scored in a 23-second span early in the second period to give St. Louis a 3-1 lead.

Pius Suter added a goal and two assists to help the Blues end a three-game losing streak.

Holloway completed St. Louis’ first hat trick of the season with 3:01 left, scoring into an empty net for his 11th of the season.

Kaapo Kakko tied it at 1 for Seattle in the first period, and Philipp Grubauer stopped 26 shots. The Kraken were coming off a 4-1 loss in Dallas on Wednesday night.

Kyrou made it 2-1 at 1:12 of the second off a feed from Pavel Buchnevich on a break. Holloway poked the puck past Grubauer off a scramble at 1:35. Suter scored at 1:56 of the third.

St. Louis’ Cam Fowler appeared in his 1,100th game, becoming the 10th active defenseman in the NHL to reach the mark.