A Seattle police officer who struck and killed a Northeastern University graduate student from India with his patrol car in 2023 has been fired, police announced this week.
Jaahnavi Kandula was crossing the street at a crosswalk when she was struck by a police cruiser being driven by officer Kevin Dave, who had been responding to a report of an overdose on Jan. 23, 2023, the Seattle Times previously reported, citing police. The 23-year-old later died at the hospital.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Seattle Police Department Interim Chief Sue Rahr said she decided to fire Dave on Monday, Jan. 6, after finding he violated four police department policies, including knowing how to safely operate a police vehicle.
Dave had been driving 74 mph in a 25 mph zone when he hit Kandula while heading to the emergency call, according to a June 2023 police report cited by KIRO-TV. The report said Dave’s speed “did not allow him sufficient time to detect, address and avoid a hazard that presented itself.”
“I believe the officer did not intend to hurt anyone that night and that he was trying to get to a possible overdose victim as quickly as possible,” Rahr said in the statement. “However, I cannot accept the tragic consequences of his dangerous driving.”
“His positive intent does not mitigate the poor decision that caused the loss of a human life and brought discredit to the Seattle Police Department,” she added.
The case was reviewed by the King County Prosecutor’s Office last year, which ultimately decided not to file criminal charges against Dave. They cited insufficient evidence to prove that Dave was “consciously disregarding safety,” according to a case memo obtained by PEOPLE.
Dave was then charged with second-degree negligent driving by the Seattle City Attorney’s Office and fined $5,000 for the civil infraction, according to Fox 13.
The case made headlines when another police officer, detective Daniel Auderer, was caught on body-camera footage released by the department joking about the incident.
“She is dead,” Auderer said in the video, before laughing. He could also be heard referring to Kandula as just “a regular person” before saying, “Yeah, just write a check.”
He continued, “$11,000. She was 26 anyway. She had limited value,” he said in the released footage.
Auderer had been the drug-recognition officer assigned to determine whether Dave had been under the influence when he hit Kandula.
Attorneys for Kandula’s family have since filed a lawsuit against the city and Dave, alleging she “experienced terror, severe emotional distress, and severe pain and suffering before dying,” Fox 13 and KOMO reported.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Following her death, Kandula’s loved ones described her as “brilliant student with a bright future,” per NBC affiliate KING-TV.
“Jaahnavi cared deeply for her mom,” organizers wrote in a GoFundMe campaign created at the time. “So much so, that in spite of severe homesickness, she came to the States to pursue her dreams and to create a better future for her mom & sister.”
“While Jaahnavi may not be here with us anymore, her dream will live on,” the message continued.
