SEATTLE — A rally to honor the life of Jaahnavi Kandula started in the heart of the Chinatown International District on Saturday, yet ended with a broader goal and call for police accountability within the Seattle Police Department (SPD).
Dozens gathered for Jaahnavi Kandula and marched to the Seattle Police Officers Guild headquarters after body camera video of its Vice President Daniel Auderer making insensitive comments about Kandula after her death in January recently came to light.
In a letter to the Office of Police Accountability (OPA), officer Auderer said he wasn’t making fun of her death but mocking the callousness of the legal system.
“What does that say to every single victim of police violence out here? That every single one of our lives and the community's lives has limited value?” asked Castill Hightower.
Castill Hightower’s brother Herbert Hightower was killed by Seattle Police in 2004 and called for a change in SPD culture.
“The mockery of our lives and the lack of humanity. The accountability systems continue to give these officers a slap on the wrists,” Hightower said.
Protestors want Officer Auderer to be off the force, or at least placed on leave.
Saturday’s rally comes 24 hours after Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz placed an officer on leave after audio surfaced of the officer making racist comments while off duty a year ago.
In a statement, Diaz said he listened to the audio Friday morning, Sept. 22. Diaz said racist comments and behavior will not be tolerated and issued an apology on behalf of the entire department.
The Chinese Information and Service Center filed a complaint with OPA last week on behalf of the person to whom the officer made the comments.
“The culture that we're sitting here seeing has long existed. We do have an OPA, but unfortunately, I don't think OPA is addressing the culture that is inherently there within the police department,” said Charlette LeFevre, who attended the rally.
The Seattle Community Police Commission sent a letter to Chief Diaz on Wednesday that called for him to place Officer Auderer on leave. The commission also said it wants Diaz to convene a work group to look at the culture within the department.