Video footage of police officer making callous comments sparks anger and international concerns.

Outrage has erupted, both locally and internationally, after a Seattle Police Department officer was captured on his body camera making insensitive comments regarding the death of a young woman who was fatally struck by a police vehicle earlier this year.

The release of the body-camera footage on Monday has triggered public anger, prompting calls for increased police accountability and transparency in Seattle. In the video, Officer Daniel Auderer is seen apparently making light of the death of 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula. Auderer refers to her as a “regular person” and suggests that the response to her death should be to “just write a check.”

“Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway,” Auderer adds, erroneously stating Kandula’s age. “She had limited value.”

Jaahnavi Kandula was fatally struck by a police cruiser while crossing the street at a crosswalk on January 23. The incident occurred as the police vehicle was traveling at 74 mph, according to the Seattle police. Kandula was thrown over 100 feet and succumbed to her injuries.

The body-camera footage has since garnered nationwide and international criticism. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco expressed deep concern over the handling of Kandula’s death. In a statement on the social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), the consulate revealed that they have contacted state and local authorities, as well as officials in Washington, D.C., demanding a “thorough investigation” and “action against those involved in this tragic case.”

The Seattle Office of Police Accountability, a city watchdog agency, has initiated an investigation into the conversation between Auderer and Solan. Both the Seattle Police Department and the accountability office have declined to comment on the incident, citing the ongoing investigation.

Jaahnavi Kandula was a graduate student at the Seattle campus of Northeastern University, where she was pursuing a master’s degree in information systems, as reported by The Seattle Times. Originally from Adoni, a southern Indian city located about 200 miles north of Bangalore, Kandula had come to Seattle with aspirations of supporting her mother, who resides in India.

According to Ashok Mandula, Kandula’s uncle, her top priority was to assist her family. Mandula explained that Kandula was the daughter of a single mother and had one sister. To finance Kandula’s education, her mother had taken an education loan.

Kandula’s family, in a statement, expressed their deep dismay at the insensitive comments made in the body-camera footage, emphasizing that Jaahnavi’s worth was immeasurable and should not be trivialized, especially in the wake of a tragic loss.

In response to the incident, community organizations and protestors gathered at the site of the collision on Thursday, rallying and marching to denounce the Seattle Police Department’s actions and demand accountability.

Joel Merkel, Co-Chair of the Seattle Community Police Commission, expressed concern over the footage, stating that it underscores several longstanding issues the commission has been addressing. The commission, an oversight organization, offers policy recommendations to the Seattle Police Department based on community input.

City Councilmember Tammy Morales called for immediate action from Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz, urging him to provide concrete plans for regaining control of the department and addressing its culture.

The incident comes at a time when concerns over police accountability and transparency have been in the spotlight, both locally and nationally. A recent federal ruling ended most court oversight of Seattle police reforms, acknowledging the department’s progress in achieving compliance with federal settlement agreements while emphasizing the importance of police accountability in maintaining community trust.