SEATTLE — Thirteen months ago, 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula was struck and killed by an officer driving a Seattle Police Department squad car. More than a year after her death, protesters are reacting to new information that the officer who hit her will not face criminal charges.
On Feb. 23, activists and supporters of Kandula gathered at the SPD West Precinct headquarters to rally in support of Kandula — and demand change.
“None of the people in this city are safe if the cops know they can run us over with impunity,” said Raymond Mitchell, a police reform activist.
Records show that Officer Kevin Dave, was responding to a drug overdose call and was driving 74 miles an hour, had emergency lights on and was said to be using the siren only when passing through intersections in the moments leading up to the fatal incident. The area where Kandula was crossing is a 25 mph zone.
In a memo to Seattle police, prosecutors wrote there wasn't enough evidence to prove Dave showed "conscious disregard for others safety." The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office announced on Feb. 21 that it will not file charges against the officer.
"Because right now we have two systems of justice; we have one for the regular people and one for cops, and that is not how it should be. The people who are in charge of enforcing our laws we need to hold them to a higher standard," Mitchell said.
Also of concern to protesters was the response by SPD. In body camera footage released after Kandula was killed, Seattle officer Daniel Auderer, who was not involved in the January collision, was captured in the video saying she "had limited value."
Those comments released by the officer himself and have prompted a separate investigation. While no criminal charges have been filed, both officers could still face disciplinary action from the department.