Report recommends termination of SPD officer who made insensitive comments towards killed student
SPD commanders recommend possible officer termination
It has been one year since Jaahnavi Kandula was hit and killed by a Seattle Police cruiser while trying to cross the street. We are learning what punishment a Seattle Police officer could face after he was caught laughing about the incident on body camera.
SEATTLE - A Seattle Police officer who made fun of a college student who was killed after being hit by a fellow officer has been recommended to be terminated from his position by the SPD commanders.
According to a recent Disciplinary Action Report from the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer made comments that violated several department policies and procedures, including professionalism standards and bias-free policing.
>> VIDEO: Seattle police officer laughs about woman hit, killed by patrol car
This is Officer Auderer’s third allegation regarding unprofessionalism. He received a written reprimand in 2018 and violated the policy again in 2021 by criticizing the City of Seattle in a DUI report that had nothing to do with the investigation.
The Office of Police Accountability (OPA) says Auderer was caught with a "hot mic" and that he tried to cover it up by saying he was ridiculing city attorneys instead of making fun of the victim.
The report also noted that Auderer’s comments made international news, causing serious harm to the department’s reputation.
The report recommends 270 hours of suspension without pay to termination.
Auderer is the vice president of the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild, and the conversation that was released was between him and the guild’s president, Mike Solan.
Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz will decide on Auderer’s future with the department at a later date, likely soon. A disciplinary hearing is scheduled for March 4.