Video has no context; was questioning callousness of the legal system: Cop

Protesters have been marching through downtown Seattle after the body camera footage was released by the Seatle police, where officer Daniel Auderer can be heard laughing at Jaahnavi Kandula’s death. Pics/PTI

The US cop who joked and laughed in a bodycam video about an Indian student's death by a police patrol car this year, has defended his remarks in a statement released by the Seattle Police Officers' Guild. Jaahnavi Kandula, a student of Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union, was hit by a Seattle Police vehicle driven by officer Kevin Dave at a pedestrian crossing on the night of January 23.

Daniel Auderer, who was assigned to see whether Dave was under any influence, left his body camera on by mistake, in which he was heard laughing and saying that Kandula's life had "limited value" and the city should "just write a check". The Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPG), releasing a statement on Friday said that "without context", this audio is horrifying and has no place in a civil society.

"The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet," the Guild said, releasing Auderer's letter, which he had submitted an August 8, defending his actions and requesting an expedited employee misconduct investigation.

Auderer wrote in his letter to the Guild that while talking to Solan, he had "lamented" Kandula's death, stating that it was unfortunate that her death would "turn into lawyers arguing the value of human life". "I responded with something like: ‘She's 26 years old. What value is there? Who cares?' I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers," Auderer wrote, adding that the conversation was "inadvertently" recorded.

"I was imitating what a lawyer tasked with negotiating the case would be saying and being sarcastic to express that they shouldn't be coming up with crazy arguments to minimise the payment. I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I have watched these incidents play out as two parties' bargain over a tragedy," Auderer said in his defence.

"I understand that without context the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude. Without context the comment is insensitive to the family of the victim when in reality I was involved in a conversation regarding the callousness of the legal system," the Seattle officer added.

What happened

>> Jaahnavi Kandula was killed by officer Kevin Dave while he was responding to a call

>> Daniel Auderer, a drug recognition expert, was asked to see if Dave was impaired

>> Auderer was making remarks about Kandula's death via recording on his body-cam which was still on

23
Kandula's age when she was killed by a speeding patrol car

8
August when Auderer says he voluntarily submitted the video

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