Seattle authorities have agreed to pay $29 million (Rs 262 crore) as a settlement to Jaahnavi Kandula's family over the wrongful death lawsuit filed by them. Kandula, 23, was struck and killed by a speeding officer in January 2023.
A lawsuit of $110 million was filed by Kandula's family against the city and former Seattle police officer Kevin Dave in 2024. Dave was driving at a speed of around 74mph in a 25-mph zone while responding to a drug overdose call.
City Attorney Erika Evans said that the city hopes this financial settlement brings some sense of closure to the family. "Jaahnavi Kandula's death was heartbreaking...her life mattered. It mattered to her family, her friends and to our community," said Evans.
Kandula had arrived in Seattle from Bengaluru in 2021 in order to pursue a master's in Information Systems at the Seattle campus of Northeastern University.
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Both parties had filed a notice of settlement in King County Superior Court last Friday.
Kandula's death had triggered outrage and demonstrations after the bodycam footage of the officer 'laughing' at the death went viral. After the incident, Dave was seen laughing and saying Kandula's life had 'limited value' and the city should 'just write a check'.
The police department also fired the driving officer, who was cited for negligent driving and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. King County prosecutors declined to file felony charges against him, saying they could not prove he was deliberately disregarding safety when he struck Kandula.
About $20 million of the settlement is expected to be covered by the city's insurance.
