Seattle police officer who struck and killed graduate student from India fired

Seattle AP —

Seattle’s interim police chief said Monday that she has fired a police officer who in 2023 struck and killed a graduate student from India while responding to an overdose call.

Interim police chief Sue Rahr, in an email to employees, said she fired Kevin Dave after the Seattle Office of Police Accountability found he had violated four department policies, including one that calls for being responsible for safely operating a patrol vehicle, the Seattle Times reported.

“I believe the officer 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.”

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A message sent to the Seattle Police Officers Guild, a police union, via the group’s website by The Associated Press was not immediately returned. Attempts to reach Dave were not successful.

Rahr’s announcement comes nearly a year after King County prosecutors said they would not file felony charges against Dave, citing insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Dave was consciously disregarding safety in the crash that killed Jaahnavi Kandula.

The Seattle City Attorney’s Office later issued Dave a $5,000 citation for negligent driving. City prosecutors said Dave was driving as fast as 74 mph (119 kph) on a street with a 25-mph (40 kph) speed limit before