A seasoned Seattle police officer, Daniel Auderer, has found himself at the center of an investigation following a recorded phone conversation that took place after the tragic death of a pedestrian, Jaahnavi Kandula, who lost her life after being hit by a police car. Auderer’s bodycam captured the controversial discussion, where he can be heard laughing and making insensitive remarks concerning the young woman’s worth.
Auderer was assigned to the tragic accident on January 23rd to evaluate if the officer responsible for striking the 23-year-old woman in a crosswalk was under the influence – his position as a “drug recognition expert” qualifying his assignment, according to the police records.
However, it was during a phone call the following day, documented by Auderer’s on-body camera, that the matter escalated. While only Auderer’s part of the conversation is audible in the footage released by the police, his unfiltered remarks, tossed out with chuckles, came across as callous to some.
In the controversial recording, besides explaining his theories about the accident, Auderer is heard laughing and uttering statements like, “But she is dead,” and “Yeah, just write a check,” followed by erroneous references to the victim’s age, concluding with the chilling remark that “She had limited value.”
Reportedly, Auderer, who also serves as the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, was in conversation with the union president, Mike Solan. The remarks provoked a strong response from the Seattle Community Police Commission co-chairs, who found them “heartbreaking and shockingly insensitive.”
In a surprising development, Auderer’s explanation for his conduct, as informed by KTTH talk radio host Jason Rantz, was that he was making a parody of city lawyers. Rantz, who claims to have obtained a document in which Auderer had confessed his own blunder to the police, said that Auderer’s comments intended to caricature the ridiculous arguments a negotiating lawyer might make to minimize the payout, marking a note of sarcasm in his voice to highlight the absurdity.
Auderer reportedly stated that his comments were devoid of malice and confessed to the realization of the potential insensitivity his words could evoke if heard by ordinary citizens.
Nevertheless, this did little to dilute the community police commission co-chairs’ critique. They stated that whether these comments were made to mock lawyers or not, they reflect a blatant disregard for responsibility and lack of professional behavior.
As the investigation progresses, the Seattle police department maintains its discovery of the footage as part of their standard procedure by a department employee. The video has been forwarded to the Office of Police Accountability to delve into the context under which the remarks were made and if there were any policies violated in the process.
Amidst this controversy, the department continues to respect the privacy wishes of the bereaved family. Sympathies were extended for the painful incident, while the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office confirmed that it is scrutinizing the fatal crash separately.
Meanwhile, the tragic accident has been under the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco’s scanner, who has called for a thorough examination of Kandula’s unfortunate death.
The consulate expressed its concern over the incident’s handling via the X social media platform, known previously as Twitter. It has reached out to the local authorities and senior officials in Washington, DC, emphasizing careful scrutiny of the case.
