The city of Seattle has agreed to pay a $29 million (£23 million) settlement to the family of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old Indian graduate student who was fatally struck by a police officer in 2023.
Officer Kevin Dave was driving at 74 mph in a 25 mph zone when he hit Ms Kandula as she crossed a street. He was responding to a drug overdose call at the time, with his emergency lights activated and siren used at junctions.
“Jaahnavi Kandula’s death was heartbreaking, and the city hopes this financial settlement brings some sense of closure to the Kandula family,” City Attorney Erika Evans said in a statement. “Jaahnavi Kandula’s life mattered. It mattered to her family, her friends and to our community.”
Kandula had been working toward a master’s degree in information systems at the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. Her death ignited outrage and demonstrations, particularly after a recording from another officer’s body camera surfaced in which the officer laughed and suggested Kandula’s life had “limited value” and the city should “just write a check.”
Diplomats from India sought an investigation. The city’s civilian watchdog found the comments by Officer Daniel Auderer, who was a union leader, damaged the department’s reputation and undermined public trust. Auderer was later fired and has sued the city for wrongful termination. He said his remarks were intended to criticise how attorneys were likely to respond to the death.
The police department also fired the driving officer, who was cited for negligent driving and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. King County prosecutors declined to file felony charges against him, saying they could not prove he was deliberately disregarding safety when he struck Kandula. About $20 million of the settlement is expected to be covered by the city's insurance.
