Seattle police officer fired 2 years after striking, killing Jaahnavi Kandula with cruiser

The Seattle officer who struck and killed 23-year-old grad student Jaahnavi Kandula with his police cruiser two years ago has been fired.

Officer Kevin Dave had been driving at least 63 miles per hour – more than double the speed limit — when he hit Kandula as she passed through a crosswalk on South Lake Union’s Dexter Avenue in January 2023. Kandula’s killing and footage capturing another Seattle police officer laughing about her death sparked international outrage.

RELATED: Outrage mounts over Seattle police bodycam that shows cop laughing about fatality

Interim Police Chief Sue Rahr wrote in an email to staff on Monday that Dave was fired after the city’s Office of Police Accountability found him in violation of four department policies, including one pertaining to emergency lights use.

“I believe [Dave] 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.”

Following an independent review of Dave’s body-warn and in-car footage by the collision reconstruction and analysis firm ACES, King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion announced last year that her office would not prosecute Dave.

“Although some may argue that use of a continuous siren may have better alerted Ms. Kandula to the presence of an oncoming police patrol vehicle, there is no legal authority or law enforcement guidance requiring the use of a continuous siren when responding to an emergency at high speed," county prosecutors wrote in a memo addressed to the head of SPD's Traffic Collision Investigation Squad.

RELATED: No charges for SPD officer who struck and killed Jaahnavi Kandula

Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison later charged Dave with second-degree negligent driving – an offense punishable by a $250 fine.