PETALING JAYA: The video of a Seattle Police Department union leader making light-hearted remarks to another union member in the aftermath of a woman’s tragic death has sparked outrage, has sparked outrage, both among lawmakers as well as Indian-Americans.
A Seattle police officer named Kevin Austin Dave was identified by authorities as the individual driving the patrol SUV that tragically struck and killed 26-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula as the officer was responding to a medical call.
Jaahnavi, who was pursuing her studies at NorthEastern University Seattle, had been working hard to improve her future prospects while also supporting her single mother back in India.
The footage shared by Amandeep Singh on his Instagram account (@inkquisitive), has sparked outrage online.
The officer involved was reportedly driving at a dangerous speed of 119 mph in a 40kph zone, resulting in the tragic accident.
Adding to the anguish surrounding the incident, Vice President Daniel Auderer was captured on video laughing and making insensitive comments while interacting with the officer, identified as Kevin Austin Dave, at the scene of the accident.
Daniel can be heard saying, ‘she’s dead,’ he then laughs and mentions ‘it’s a regular person,’ referring to Jaahnavi.
He continued by saying ‘just write a check $11,000 (RM 50,000).
He further said: “She was 26 anyway, she had limited value.”
The delayed release of this disturbing video has left many feeling outraged at the apparent efforts to hide the truth.
Independent global news, Associated Press reported earlier this month that an investigation is underway by a city watchdog agency.
While no specific crowdfunding pages have been identified to offer support, it is crucial to recognize the value of Jaahnavi’s life and bring attention to her story, shining a light on the tragedy and raising awareness about the need for justice and accountability in such cases.
