Seattle police officer caught laughing, joking about woman's death fired
SEATTLE - Seattle Police officer Daniel Auderer, who in 2023 was caught on body camera joking and laughing about the death of a student fatally struck by a patrol car, has been fired from the department, interim Police Chief Sue Rahr announced Wednesday.
The incident stems from a conversation accidentally caught on body camera between Auderer — who is also the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) — and SPOG president Mike Solan. Auderer is heard on video joking and laughing about 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula, a student who was hit and killed by a Seattle Police patrol car that was speeding through South Lake Union in response to a high-priority call.
Interim chief Sue Rahr issued an email to the police department explaining her decision to fire Auderer.
"At the root of this case lies an extremely difficult judgment call of how to fairly balance ‘intent versus impact,’" wrote Rahr.
Rahr notes that, despite the "gallows humor" nature of their jokes, the fact that the body cam video became part of public record has done "immeasurable damage to the public trust of police in the Seattle community, across the nation, and around the world."
The interim chief argues that Auderer's intent does not outweigh the impact on public perception of SPD, Kandula's family and others.
"The actions [of] this individual police officer have brought shame on the Seattle Police Department and our entire profession, making the job of every police officer more difficult," wrote Rahr.
You can read the full statement below:
"I recognize that it is unusual for a Chief to explain a disciplinary decision to an entire organization. This is, however, an unusual enough circumstance that I believe I owe it to all of you to do so. 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. 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.
"I also know the named officer is well-regarded, if not beloved, by many of his fellow officers and supervisors. He has done many positive and noteworthy things during the course of his career. I expect that many of you will disagree with my decision, and perhaps be angry. And that’s OK. But I think you deserve to know how and why I made it.
"At the root of this case lies an extremely difficult judgment call of how to fairly balance "intent versus impact." I considered the following factors in making my decision:
- The incident began with the tragic death of a promising, young college student and the indescribable grief of her family, loved ones, and native country.
- As he left the scene, the named officer had what he intended to be a private conversation with a colleague, engaging in what he described as "gallows humor."
- Gallows humor is a common coping behavior among those who routinely witness traumatic events. Most of us in law enforcement have engaged in gallows humor from time to time. Because his conversation was recorded on his Body Worn Video Camera (BWV), it was provided to the King County Prosecutor’s Office as part of the fatality case, and thus was part of the public record that both SPD and King County were required to produce in response to public requests.
- The purpose of BWV is to provide the public with insight into the actions of police officers that might occur outside of broad public view. This level of transparency is integral to building trust.
- More often than not, BWV displays good police work and reassures the public that the police officers are competent and trustworthy. We use BWV to showcase good policework and to dispute false accusations.
- Conversely, over the past decade, across the nation, BWV footage has displayed terrible acts of police misconduct that created national outrage and has had a devastating impact on public trust and support for police.
- For many years SPD has taken significant steps to improve public trust and support so that officers are safer and more effective.
- As I consider all of these factors, there is no doubt that the named officer’s cruel comments and callous laughter about the tragic death caused deep pain to Ms. Kandula’s family, but also immeasurable damage to the public trust of police in the Seattle community, across the nation, and around the world.
"It has been quite striking to me the number of people I talk with in the greater Seattle community, even those I know to be very ‘pro-police,’ who feel the dehumanizing laughter heard on the video is more outrageous and disturbing than the death of Ms. Kandula. I have spent many hours considering why this is so. Here is what I’ve concluded:
"Our government gives police officers the authority to deprive people of their liberty and in the most extreme circumstances, their life. This authority rests on the public’s trust that officers will demonstrate respect for the sanctity of human life. The officer’s laughter and callous comments about the "limited value" of Ms. Kandula’s life displayed a cruel mockery of the sanctity of her life. That is a betrayal of that sacred trust. Not only did his comments irrevocably break the public’s trust in the officer, individually, but they caused extreme damage to the public’s trust of the entire Seattle Police Department.
"I believe the impact of his actions is so devastating that it cannot be mitigated by his intent to keep his conversation private. The hurt his words have inflicted on Ms. Kandula’s family cannot be erased. The actions [of] this individual police officer have brought shame on the Seattle Police Department and our entire profession, making the job of every police officer more difficult.
"It is my duty as the leader of this organization to uphold the high standards necessary to maintain public trust. For me to allow the officer to remain on our force would only bring further dishonor to the entire department. For that reason, I am going to terminate his employment. I deeply regret the negative impact my decision has on him as an individual officer, who clearly loves his profession and his colleagues. But I have the duty and obligation to prioritize the good of the entire organization over an individual officer.
"I deeply value the open and positive response I’ve received during my visits throughout the department. It is my hope that even if you vehemently disagree, you will understand why I had to make this choice. Please don’t let go of the hope and positive momentum that we have started to build over the past weeks. This is a great organization and I want every one of us to be proud to be part of an honorable department with high ethical standards.
Interim Chief Sue Rahr
Seattle Police Department"
Auderer was not involved in the death of Kandula. The officer responsible, Kevin Dave, was not charged but instead fined a $5,000 traffic infraction for second-degree negligent driving. FOX 13 News reported that, in May 2024, Dave failed to pay that fine and it defaulted.
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