US police officer fired for callous remarks on Indian student’s death

The Office of Police Accountability, which investigates police misconduct, had recommended Auderer's dismissal for unprofessional conduct and bias.

Kandula, 23, was struck and killed in January by a police vehicle while crossing a street near her university. (File Photo)

A US police officer has been fired after making insensitive remarks regarding the death of an Indian student who was killed by a police vehicle in January.

The Seattle Police Department condemned officer Daniel Auderer’s comments about Jaahnavi Kandula’s death as “vile” and “callous,” according to BBC.

Kandula, 23, was struck and killed by a police vehicle while crossing a street near her university. Officer Auderer, who responded to the incident, was recorded laughing and stating that her life was of “limited value” and that the city should “just write a cheque”.

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The footage, captured on his body camera during a call with a colleague, shows Auderer saying, “But she is dead”, before laughing and adding, “No, it’s a regular person. Yeah, just write a cheque. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26, anyway. She had limited value.”

Also read | US assures action after India calls for probe into video showing Seattle police officer laughing at student’s death

The video went viral on social media, causing public outrage. Interim Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr announced Auderer’s termination in a department-wide email, stating, “His actions had brought shame on the entire department and the police profession.”

She added that Auderer’s “cruel and callous laughter” and the pain caused to Kandula’s family could not be outweighed by his reputation and years of service.

The Office of Police Accountability, which investigates police misconduct, had recommended Auderer’s dismissal for unprofessional conduct and bias. Kandula was a graduate student at Northeastern University in Seattle.

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Reports indicate the officer driving the vehicle that struck her was traveling at 74 mph (119 km/h), causing Kandula to be thrown over 100 feet (30 meters).

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