Seattle agrees to over Dh100 million settlement with family of Indian student killed by police
Settlement follows 2023 collision in which officer hit, killed student from Andhra Pradesh
Seattle has reached a $29 million (Dh106.5 million) settlement with the family of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old graduate student from India who was struck and killed by a Seattle police patrol vehicle in January 2023, officials and court filings show.
Kandula, originally from Andhra Pradesh, was crossing a street near the Northeastern University Seattle campus when she was hit by a patrol car driven by Officer Kevin Dave, who was responding to a drug overdose call at speeds up to 119 kph in a 40 kph zone with emergency lights and siren. She was pursuing a master’s degree in information systems at the time.
As per NDTV, the announced settlement by the Seattle City Attorney’s Office aims to bring a measure of closure to Kandula’s family and was approved following a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court. According to the city attorney, Kandula’s life “mattered … to her family, her friends and to our community.”
About $20 million of the settlement is expected to be covered by the city’s insurance, with the remainder paid directly by the municipality, multiple reports state.
Kandula’s death drew widespread attention — not only because of the circumstances of the crash, but also due to the release of body-camera footage involving another officer, in which he made insensitive remarks after the incident. That officer was later fired and has since filed a wrongful termination lawsuit.
King County prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges against Officer Dave, citing insufficient evidence to prove intent or reckless disregard under Washington state law. The officer was cited for negligent driving and fined $5,000, according to an AP report.
In the years since the collision, Kandula’s death has prompted public protests and calls for policy reviews, and the settlement stands as one of the largest such agreements in US police-related wrongful death cases involving an international student.
