Seattle's interim police chief said Monday that she has fired a police officer who was in 2023 hit and killed a graduate student from India while responding to an overdose call.
Interim police chief Sue Rahr, in an email to staff, said she fired Kevin Dave after the Seattle Police Accountability Office found he violated four department policies, giving his -enter a person who wants to be responsible for the safe operation of a patrol vehicle, the Seattle Times reported.
“I believe the officer did not intend to hurt anyone that night and was trying to get to an overdose victim as quickly as possible,” Rahr wrote. , I cannot accept the dire consequences of his dangerous driving. His positive intent does not diminish the poor decision that resulted in the loss of human life and brought him into disrepute. Seattle Police Dept.
A message sent to the Seattle Police Officers Association, a police union, through the organization's website by The Associated Press was not immediately returned. Efforts to reach Dave were unsuccessful.
Rahr's announcement comes nearly a year after King County prosecutors said they would not file criminal charges against Dave, citing insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Dave knowingly disregard for safety in the accident that killed. Jahnavi Kandula.
The Seattle City Attorney's Office later issued Dave a $5,000 citation for careless driving. City prosecutors said Dave was driving as fast as 74 mph (119 kph) on a street with a 25 mph (40 kph) speed limit before hitting Kandula. After initially contesting the ticket, Dave agreed to pay it, complete an eight-hour traffic safety course within a year and perform 40 hours of community service by Sept. 30, records filed in an exhibit show. municipal court.
Kandula's death sparked outrage, especially in the aftermath registration from another officer a body-worn camera emerged, in which the officer laughed and suggested that Kandula's life had “limited value” and that the city should “just write a check.” Diplomats from India are seeking study. The city's civilian watchdog found that the comments from Officer Daniel Auderer, a former union leader, damaged the department's reputation and undermined public trust. Auderer was later fired.
Kandula's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and Dave.
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