The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO) has hired a collision reconstruction firm, ACES, Inc., in its investigation of the tragic incident involving Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave and the fatal collision that claimed the life of 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula in January 2023.
ACES, Inc. will closely scrutinize all available evidence, including video footage and relevant state laws, and provide KCPAO with a detailed report outlining their findings.
This report will be a vital component of the office’s charging decision, and it will be assessed by prosecutors from both the Felony Traffic Unit and the Criminal Division.
Kandula was killed when she was struck by a vehicle driven by Officer Dave. He was driving at a speed of 74 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone, and he did not have his sirens activated at the time. Kandula was walking in a crosswalk when the collision took place.
She was a graduate student from India.
In the immediate aftermath of the collision, Officer Daniel Auderer, the vice president of the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild, was involved in a call with Mike Solan, the president of the guild. Auderer’s body camera recorded the conversation, capturing deeply troubling comments. During the call, Officer Auderer was heard making insensitive remarks about Jaahnavi’s death, saying, “Yeah, just write a check. $11,000. She was 26 anyway. She had limited value.”
The video was brought to the attention of an employee within the Seattle Police Department (SPD), who escalated their concerns to the Chief’s Office. Following a review of the video, the matter was subsequently referred to the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) for a comprehensive investigation.
Notably, it’s crucial to distinguish between Officer Kevin Dave and Officer Daniel Auderer in this case. Officer Daniel Auderer is the individual captured on body-worn video, and his conduct is not within the purview of the KCPAO.