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Interim police chief Sue Rahr, in an email to employees, said
she fired Kevin Dave after the Seattle Office of Police
Accountability found he had violated four department policies,
including one that calls for being responsible for safely
operating a patrol vehicle, the Seattle Times reported.
“I believe the officer did not intend to hurt anyone that night
and that he was trying to get to a possible overdose victim as
quickly as possible,” Rahr wrote. “However, I cannot accept the
tragic consequences of his dangerous driving. His positive
intent does not mitigate the poor decision that caused the loss
of a human life and brought discredit to the Seattle Police
Department.”
A message sent to the Seattle Police Officers Guild, a police
union, via the group's website by The Associated Press was not
immediately returned. Attempts to reach Dave were not
successful.
Rahr's announcement comes nearly a year after King County
prosecutors said they would not file felony charges against
Dave, citing insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable
doubt that Dave was consciously disregarding safety in the crash
that killed Jaahnavi Kandula.
The Seattle City Attorney’s Office later issued Dave a $5,000
citation for negligent driving. City prosecutors said Dave was
driving as fast as 74 mph (119 kph) on a street with a 25-mph
(40 kph) speed limit before striking Kandula. After initially
contesting the ticket, Dave recently agreed to pay it, complete
an eight-hour traffic safety course within a year and do 40
hours of community service by Sept. 30, records filed in
municipal court show.
Kandula’s death ignited outrage, particularly after a recording
from another officer’s body-worn camera surfaced, in which that
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.
Kandula’s family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the
city and Dave.
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