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Jaahnavi Kandula's death: Seattle mayor, top cop in US issue apology
“The mayor took full responsibility and apologised for the incident…,” Preeti Shridhar, an Indian-American community advocate, said.
Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell and chief of police Adrian Diaz on Saturday issued an apology in response to the tragic death of Jaahnavi Kandula, an Indian student who lost her life after a collision with a speeding police patrol car in January.
Mayor Harrell extended his apology in a private meeting held on Saturday with representatives from the South Asian immigrant community in the Seattle area. "We want to express our extreme condolences for your loss. Many comments that have been made do not reflect the sympathy and the empathy and the condolences that we have," the mayor said.
Meanwhile, the chief of police in Seattle, Adrian Diaz, stated, “...I know that I talked to the brother and some of the other family. But we're here to continue to listen, because we're here. We want to stand with you. We want to figure out ways that you also feel in a situation. We want to work to ensure that that we value our human life that we do not dehumanise others.”
During the hour-and-a-half-long meeting at City Hall between Harrell and members of the South Asian immigrant community, approximately 20 supporters came together to address Jaahnavi Kandula's tragic passing away and the way the case has been managed since. These participants conveyed their worries and called for responsibility and transparency in relation to the incident.
Community leaders said during the discussion, Harrell was attentive and displayed empathy.
In addition to the meeting, over 100 individuals from the community organised a rally at the location where Kandula was tragically struck. Holding placards bearing slogans like "Jaahnavi had more value than SPD" and “Justice for Jaahnavi, jail killer cops”, the demonstrators voiced their demand for justice on behalf of the victim and called for comprehensive reforms in police training and recruitment.
Simultaneously, Northeastern University, where Kandula was pursuing her studies, made the decision to posthumously confer her degree and present it to her family.
Kandula, a 23-year-old graduate student enrolled at Northeastern University in Seattle, was struck by Officer Kevin Dave while crossing a street. Dave was travelling at a speed exceeding 119 kilometres per hour, responding to an overdose call at the time. The subsequent unveiling of bodycam footage exposed another officer, Daniel Auderer, who was seen laughing and making inappropriate remarks regarding the student's death.
Auderer, in his explanation, chuckled at the absurdity of how such incidents were being handled in legal proceedings and the surreal nature of witnessing the unfolding of these events.
(With inputs from PTI)
