Seattle police officer fired after making vile comments, cackling immediately after Indian student fatally struck by police vehicle
The Seattle police officer who was caught on body camera footage making vile comments about an Indian student who was fatally struck by a police vehicle has been fired.
The police department had been facing calls to fire Detective Daniel Auderer - who was not in the car that hit the student, but was responding to the scene - since body camera footage was released last year showing him laughing about the death of 23-year-old Indian graduate student Jaahnavi Kandula.
He suggested in the footage that cops could 'write a check' to Kandula's family for $11,000 - claiming 'she had limited value' - after she was struck by a fellow police officer near Northwestern University.
Auderer was 'administratively re-assigned to a non-operational position,' Seattle police announced in the aftermath.
But on Wednesday, Police Chief Sue Rahr announced that she had fired the officer.
Seattle Police Officer Daniel Auderer has been fired for making vile comments about an Indian graduate student who was struck by a fellow officer
'For me to allow the officer to remain on our force would only bring further dishonor to the entire department,' she wrote in an internal email, according to KUOW.
She acknowledged that it is 'unusual' for a police chief to explain their rationale for firing an employee.
'This is, however, an unusual enough circumstance,' Rahr wrote, according to WCYB.
'This case has been covered extensively in the public, has garnered international media and diplomatic attention, and I am confident that everyone in this organization has had the opportunity to learn about the case and hear for themselves the officer's words,' she continued.
'I am choosing to share the outcome of this case with all of you, because the far-reaching impact of the officer's actions reflect on all of us, not just as members of the Seattle Police Department, but on the profession of law enforcement.'
Auderer was caught on camera disparaging 23-year-old Indian graduate student Jaahnavi Kandula (pictured), saying she had 'limited value'
Rahr went on to say that at the root of the case was an 'extremely difficult' judgment call on how to fairly balance Auderer's intent versus his impact.
She said she considered a number of factors, including the fact that Auderer thought he was having a private conversation with a colleague as he left the scene of the accident in January 2023, engaging in what he has since described as 'gallows humor.'
Most people in law enforcement have engaged in gallows humor from time to time, Rahr noted, but because his conversation was caught on body camera, it was provided to the King County Prosecutors Office - and therefore became part of the public record.
The purpose of such body cameras is to provide the public with insight into the actions of cops that might occur outside of the public view, and for years, Rahr said, the Seattle Police Department has taken steps to improve public trust.
Rahr said as she considered those factors, she realized there is no doubt that Auderer's 'cruel comments and callous laughter' about Kandula's death caused a considerable amount of pain for her family.
She also said the comments lead to 'immeasurable damage to the public trust of police in Seattle, across the nation and around the world.'
Taken all together, Rahr concluded that the 'impact' of Auderer's comments 'is so devastating that it cannot be mitigated by his intent to keep his conversation private.'
Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr announced her decision to fire Auderer in an internal email on Wednesday
But police sources told KING 5 Rahr was strongly considering a 30-day suspension.
She decided to go with the termination, they said, because she did not want to appear too lenient.
Still, Rahr noted in her email that Auderer is 'well-regarded, if not beloved, by many of his fellow officers and supervisors,' and said he has done positive and noteworthy things.
She went on to acknowledge that 'many of you will disagree with my decision, and perhaps be angry,' according to KING 5.
She noted that Auderer is 'well-regarded, if not beloved, by many of his fellow officers and supervisors,' and said he has done positive and noteworthy things
After the body camera footage went public, Auderer insisted in a letter to the Office of Police Accountability that he was not making fun of Kandula's death, but instead meant to make 'a mockery of lawyers.'
'I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy,' he wrote.
Auderer acknowledged in the statement that anyone listening to his side of the conversation alone 'would rightfully believe I was being insensitive to the loss of human life.'
The comment was 'not made with malice or a hard heart,' he said, but 'quite the opposite.'
But in January, the Office of Police Accountability ruled that he broke policing standards when he made 'inhumane' comments and laughed.
Gino Betts, the director of the office, said at the time his comments were 'derogatory, disturbing and inhumane.
'The officer's comments undermine public trust in the department, himself and his colleagues,' Betts said.
'For many, it confirmed, fairly or not, beliefs that some officers devalue and conceal disparaging views about community members.'
Seattle police commanders then recommended the highest level of discipline - 30 days without pay or possible termination.
Officials say Auderer eroded public trust in the police department following Kandula's tragic death in January
On Wednesday, Mayor Bruce Harrell said he agreed with Rahr's decision to terminate the officer.
'Our officers do incredible work to serve our city every single day - they are here to protect and serve every member of our community - no matter their age, their gender, their race or religion,' he said.
'Effective policing requires public trust,' he continued. 'It cannot be effective if the people being served have doubts about our officers' motivations, conduct or character.
'I support Chief Rahr's decision because it recognizes our values of accountability, continuous improvement and the public trust necessary for our police officers to protect the people of Seattle.
'The insensitive comments and behavior by the officer caught on tape damaged the relationship between our Seattle Police Department and the communities our officers strive to keep safe - simply put, this incident damaged the public trust we have been working to strengthen since Day One of my administration.
'In collaboration with Chief Rahr, we will continue to work with officers to ensure effective policing rooted in authentic public trust by creating a positive culture in our public service, uplifting the good work our officers do every day, following the accountability process when there is misconduct and fostering safety in our city through a community based, values-centered approach,' the mayor vowed.
