A former Seattle police officer, Daniel Auderer, who was fired for making insensitive remarks about a woman fatally struck by another officer’s vehicle, claims he was not mocking her death. Auderer, the ex-vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, was recorded on body cam laughing and saying the victim, Jaahnavi Kandula, “had limited value.” He insists his comments were taken out of context, arguing he was sarcastically mocking how a lawyer might undervalue a life in settlement negotiations.

Interim Police Chief Sue Rahr dismissed Auderer last month, stating his remarks displayed a “cruel mockery of the sanctity of her life.” Auderer, however, expressed regret for the pain caused to Kandula’s family and emphasized that his words were not intended to demean her.

Protests erupted following the release of bodycam footage last September, capturing a Seattle police officer’s controversial remarks regarding the death of Jaahnavi Kandula.

Auderer has filed a $20 million claim against the city, asserting wrongful termination and retaliation due to his union role. The Seattle Police Department released the body cam footage in September 2023, where Auderer’s conversation with Police Union President Mike Solan was captured. In the video, Auderer can be heard suggesting the department “write a check” and laughing about Kandula’s death, incorrectly stating her age as 26.

The Office of Police Accountability (OPA) received a complaint about Auderer’s comments in August 2023 and initiated an investigation. Auderer alleges that the OPA leaked the complaint to target him for his union activities. Seattle Police Department commanders recommended Auderer be suspended without pay or terminated, though they disagreed with the OPA’s finding that his comments displayed age bias.

Despite his dismissal, Auderer continues to maintain that his words were misconstrued and that his intent was to criticize potential legal tactics, not to mock Kandula’s tragic death.