In recording, a Seattle police officer joked after woman’s death. He says remarks were misunderstood

By GENE JOHNSON
Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — A city watchdog agency is investigating after a body-worn camera captured one Seattle Police Department union leader joking with another following the death of a woman who was struck and killed by a police cruiser as she was crossing a street. Daniel Auderer, who is the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, responded to the Jan. 23 crash scene where another officer killed Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, in a crosswalk. Afterward, Auderer was recorded joking that Kandula’s life had “limited value” and the city should “just write a check.” He reportedly told the Office of Police Accountability that he was mocking how city attorneys might try to minimize liability for the death.