The policeman who was caught on camera making jokes about the death of a young lady in a car accident has been sacked. Vice President of the Police Guild Det. Daniel Auderer was let go on Wednesday.
Commanders in Seattle police reportedly suggested in February that he be suspended or fired. Sue Rahr, the acting police chief, supported Auderer’s dismissal, claiming that his remarks had caused the department “lasting shame.”
After arriving at the scene where follow officer Kevin Dave tragically struck 23-year-old Northeastern University master’s student Jaahnavi Kandula, Det. Daniel Auderer was captured on bodycam.
He said to another cop over the phone, “Yeah just write a check….11 thousand dollars. She was 26, she had limited value.” Rahr did not realize he was being videotaped, according to his disciplinary action report.
“Three seconds later, you apparently realized your body worn camera was on, and your hand jerked from the steering wheel to deactivate the device,” she stated.
On January 23, 2023, Dave was allegedly traveling at 74 mph in a 25 mph zone while responding to an overdose call. Kandula, meantime, was strolling along Thomas Street at Dexter Avenue North in a westward direction. It was alleged that an inclined sidewalk and construction barriers prevented her from seeing northbound vehicles.
She then arrived at the crossing. Although Dave braked just in time to impact her, he was reportedly traveling at 63 mph when the crash occurred, according to the police.
In March, prosecutors issued a traffic citation to him, claiming that, even in the event that they could establish negligence, the offense did not meet the requirements for filing felony criminal charges in the state of Washington.
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Internal investigators were reportedly informed by Auderer that he was not making fun of Kandula when he made the remark about her “limited value,” but rather the city’s attorneys who might have to settle with her family’s attorneys in the event that a case was brought. Rahr insisted that his remark crossed the line, though.
“The hurt your words have inflicted on Ms. Kandula’s family and community cannot be erased,” she stated. “Your individual actions have brought lasting shame on the Seattle Police Department, disgrace on our entire profession, and make the job of every police officer more difficult. It is my duty as the leader of this organization to uphold the high standards necessary to maintain public trust. For me to allow you to continue your employment with SPD would bring dishonor to the entire department.”
