The shocking hit and kill incident that claimed the life of Telugu girl Jahnavi Kandula in Seattle shook the Telugu community abroad. Incidentally, justice has finally been served with regard to the case.
Seattle Police Officer Daniel Auderer was fired Wednesday following months of controversy surrounding his insensitive comments about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old Indian student from Hyderabad and a native of Adoni in Kurnool of AP was killed by a speeding police vehicle in 2023.
The decision comes after body camera footage captured Auderer laughing and making disrespectful remarks about Kandula’s death during a phone call with another officer.
In an email to the department, Interim Chief Sue Rahr explained her reasoning behind the termination. Rahr acknowledged the difficulty in weighing “intent versus impact” but stressed the severity of Auderer’s actions.
“His cruel comments and callous laughter caused deep pain to Ms. Kandula’s family and damaged the public’s trust in the department,” Rahr wrote. “The hurt his words have inflicted cannot be erased.”