Horrifying Video Shows Cop Laughing About Woman Who Died After Being Run Over by Officer

In newly released body cam footage, a Seattle police officer is heard laughing over the death of a graduate student who died after another officer crashed a patrol car into her, saying she had “limited value.” 

“She is dead. It’s a regular person,” Det. Daniel Auderer was heard talking over his bodycam video while laughing. “She was 26 anyway, she had limited value,” he continued jokingly.

In the footage, Auderer is also heard implying that they could clear up the woman’s death easily, saying “just write a check.” 

Jaahnavi Kandula, who was actually 23, was a graduate student from India. She was struck on Jan. 23 by another officer driving 75 mph in a 25-mph zone to respond to an overdose call. 

Kandula sustained life-threatening injuries and died later that night. 

Kandula had been living in Seattle since 2021, and was pursuing a master’s degree in science and engineering. She was remembered by school staff as a brilliant student.

In a statement to KJR-FM radio, Kandula’s family said: “In spite of earning less than [$200 US] per month, her mother educated Jaahnavi and encouraged her to [travel to] the United States hoping Jaahnavi would have a better future and a better life abroad.”

“Her mother’s hopes and dreams are cut short now.”

Auderer, along with the Seattle Police Department, is now under investigation by several police oversight agencies, including the Seattle Community Police Commission, which called the footage “heartbreaking and shockingly insensitive.” 

On Monday the Seattle Police Department released a statement, saying that they first learned of Auderer’s conversation from another employee who listened to the bodycam footage. The employee flagged the conversation to superiors, who made the decision to pass it off to the Office of Police Accountability for investigation.