SEATTLE — Community members joined in a solidarity walk Sunday at the site where a Seattle police officer struck and killed a 23-year-old woman with his patrol car while she was in a crosswalk.
This comes days after it was announced the officer involved in the deadly collision is facing a traffic citation.
"She was one of us,” said Deepali Jamwal, who organized Sunday’s Solidarity walk. “She was an immigrant. She was a student. She was Indian. She had the same values as us when an immigrant comes to the U.S. to fulfill their dreams"
But Kandula's dreams were cut short. The 23-year-old was walking in a crosswalk in the South Lake Union neighborhood in January 2023, when she was hit and killed by a Seattle police officer.
The Seattle City Attorney's Office filed a "negligent driving" citation against the officer involved, Kevin Dave. The officer was responding to an emergency call and had his lights on. Last month, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said there was not enough evidence under state law to file criminal charges against Dave.
"He cannot walk away, after taking a life scot-free,” Jamwal said. “We are disgusted. It shatters our trust and faith in the justice system."
Meanwhile, officer Daniel Auderer, who was not involved in the deadly collision, but was captured on bodycam footage making insensitive comments after Kandula's death is waiting for a disciplinary hearing in April.
“Daniel Auderer is unfit to serve the forces," Jamwal said. "He's someone with the lowest level of humanity and ethics and someone who's biased and so disgusting and is unfit to serve. And we want his termination."
Until then, this group will continue to keep her name alive.
“We are here," Jamwal said. "We will fight until justice is served."