Death of Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, from India, ignited outrage after fellow officer was recorded making ‘appalling’ remarks about case
Prosecutors in Washington state said on Wednesday they will not file felony charges against a Seattle police officer who struck and killed a graduate student from India while responding to an overdose call – a case that attracted widespread attention after another officer was recorded making callous remarks about it.
Officer Kevin Dave was driving 74mph (119km/h) on a street with a 25mph (40km/h) speed limit in a police SUV before he hit 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula in a crosswalk on 23 January 2023.
In a memo to the Seattle police department on Wednesday, the King county prosecutor’s office noted that Dave had on his emergency lights, that other pedestrians reported hearing his siren, and that Kandula appeared to try to run across the intersection after seeing his vehicle approaching. She might also have been wearing wireless earbuds that could have diminished her hearing, they noted.
For those reasons, a felony charge of vehicular homicide was not warranted. “There is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Dave was consciously disregarding safety,” the memo said.
Absolutely not. Trials, the process used to determine guilt, shouldn’t be thrown out just because someone “might” be innocent. Everyone might be innocent. That’s why we investigate and try these cases.
Not to be pedantic but to add, everyone is innocent until otherwise proven, which requires amicable evidence that a crime was committed. At least how this sounds imo its even worse than a “qualified immunity” ruling since it seems as though the killing itself is being disregarded… much like these cops’ sentiment. That is absurd if our courts cant judge at least something wrong was done and make a shitty excuse for it even