The action has been taken by Bharat in response to the United States court’s decision which dropped criminal charges against Seattle police officer Kevin Dave who struck 23-year-old Bharatiya student Jaahnavi Kandula.
The Consulate General of Bharat in Seattle has lifted the matter with the authorities to analyze the judgement and is tracking the progress of the investigation.
“On the recently released probe report of the King County Prosecution Attorney on the unfortunate death of Jaahnavi Kandula, the Consulate has been in regular touch with the designated family representatives and will continue to extend all possible support in ensuring justice for Jaahnavi and her family”, said the consulate in a statement.
It added, “We have also lifted the matter with local authorities, including Seattle Police for appropriate redress. The case has now been referred to Seattle City Attorney’s office for review. We await completion of Seattle Police’s administrative investigation and will continue to monitor progress on the case”.
The prosecutor cited a lack of sufficient evidence as the reason for not pursuing criminal charges against the officer, during the court case.
Jaahnavi, a Master’s student from Andhra Pradesh, was hit by Officer Kevin Dave’s speeding car on January 23, 2023. At the time of the incident, the officer was responding to a drug overdose.
The impact of the collision flung her 100 feet as the police vehicle was travelling nearly 120 kmph.
Kandula was pursuing a master’s degree in information systems and had come to the United States in 2021 on a student exchange program. She was due to receive her master’s degree in December 2023.
A video from Officer Daniel Auderer’s bodycam captured him making jokes about Kandula’s death, suggesting that the city should write a check for damages to the family.
King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion expressed concern about Officer Auderer’s remarks and called them deeply troubling. However, she stated that these comments did not changed the legal analysis of Officer Dave’s conduct.
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