Slog AM: SPD Cop Who Killed Pedestrian Had "Checkered Past," Trump Arrives at Criminal Trial, Iran Launches Missiles at Israel

The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Nathalie Graham

SPD hired cop knowing his "checkered past:" The cop, Kevin Dave, who struck and killed 23-year-old pedestrian Jaahnavi Kandula last year while going 74 miles per hour, had a history of bad behavior and reckless driving when he worked at the Tucson Police Department. The agency fired Dave in 2013. According to PubliCola, Dave was the subject of six investigations while at TPD, including two collisions (one deemed "preventable"), two regarding firearm use, one about filing a police report incorrectly, and one for violating code of conduct standards.

Even more disturbing: Eight months after TPD fired him, officers had a run-in with a likely intoxicated Dave. When he encountered the officers, he sped away in his truck and then stashed it away in an alley. When cops confronted him, he said he hadn't been driving the truck. TPD officers described Dave as "belligerent" during their interaction, and "Dave blamed TPD for his inability to get a job at other police departments," PubliCola reports. The Seattle Police Department later hired Dave with a $15,000 signing bonus contingent upon him staying with the department for three years. Dave killed Kandula "less than two and a half years" into his role. He is still employed with SPD. 

Huge news: The sun will set at 8 pm tonight. We haven't had 8vpm sunsets since last August. Make sure you use the extra daylight for good, not evil. 

Today's weather will not be like Sunday's weather. It will be gray and 10 degrees colder. Hope is on the horizon, though. Sun will return and stick around for a big chunk of the week once we make it through today. 

While we saw phenomenal weather today, temperatures will tumble in the wake of a cold front tonight, dropping 10 degrees or so cooler Monday. Scattered showers will persist through much of the day across the Puget Sound region bringing light rainfall. 📉#WAwx pic.twitter.com/yzzKDQEgq8

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) April 15, 2024

Fire destroys historic Snoqualmie building: A fire in downtown Snoqualmie early Sunday morning decimated a historic building and the businesses it housed. The impacted businesses were Snoqualmie Ice Cream, Chickadee Bakery, Snoqualmie Pie Company, and Littlest Wishes Photography. 

Dog hell: Mason County authorities found way too many animals inside a Grapeview, Washington home. They found 67 dogs ("Shepherds, Pyrenees, Poodles, Chihuahuas, Dachsunds, lots of Huskies," according to KING 5), one horse, and a dead horse. Eight of the dogs were in critical condition. "I can't understand how someone accumulates so many dogs," the executive director of the Humane Society of Mason County said. That is simply too many dogs for my taste, and too many dead horses. 

Amazon sued for selling deadly chemical: Fifteen people died by suicide between 2020 and 2022 after consuming a chemical used as a food preservative or in medical lab settings. They all purchased the chemical on Amazon. The families of the deceased are now suing the e-commerce giant, claiming the product was mislabeled, that bad reviews warning of the product's lethal potential were deleted, and that the site reminded shoppers that the product was in the cart. According to the Seattle Times, "Amazon has argued in court documents that it can’t be held responsible for how its customers use its products." The company claims a ruling against it in this case would have "far-reaching and untenable consequences" for all online retailers.    Trump's hush money trial starts today: Donald Trump arrived in court in Manhattan for jury selection in the Stormy Daniels hush-money case. Prosecutors will argue the payment was a form of election interference. He is the first former president to stand trial for criminal charges. Isn't history fun?   Trump played the politically persecuted victim in comments he made upon his arrival:

"This is political persecution" Trump speaks ahead of historical criminal trial. pic.twitter.com/2UnuwSeIYL

— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) April 15, 2024

A look at outside the courtroom: Now this is the wacky shit I want to see. 

Let the circus begin#TrumpTrial pic.twitter.com/a1polqpkjg

— marco congiu (@marcocongiu) April 15, 2024

Iran launched missiles at Israel: On Saturday, Iran launched "hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles" at Israel two weeks after a suspected Israeli attack in Syria killed two Iranian generals. Israel said 99% of the missiles were intercepted. This is Iran's first direct military assault on Israel despite decades of tension between the two countries. The United Nations is urging Israel not to retaliate.   Don't worry, SPD is on the case: In a blog post, the Seattle Police Department announced it was "closely monitoring [the] conflict between Israel and Iran."   Criminal investigation launched in bridge collapse case: The FBI and the US Coast Guard are launching a federal criminal investigation into the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge last month. The probe will center on the cargo ship that crashed into the bridge and sent it tumbling down. Specifically, authorities are looking into whether the vessel's crew failed to report earlier issues with the ship.   Layoffs at Tesla: Tesla is laying off 10% of its global workforce. CEO Elon Musk stated in a memo that the cuts were a needed step before the company's "next phase of growth." However, Tesla sales are down. For the first time since 2020, the electric car company reported an annual decline in vehicle deliveries.    Stabbing at Sydney mall: A 40-year-old man went on a stabbing rampage in Australia on Saturday. He killed five women and one male security guard before he was shot dead. Authorities say he "clearly" targeted women in his attack. The perpetrator's father said his son, who he described as mentally ill and very sick, targeted women because "he wanted a girlfriend and he's got no social skills and he was frustrated out of his brain." For all the sad, angry men out there: Women are not responsible for your loneliness, we do not owe you anything, please stop murdering us.   A little duet for your Monday: Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish crooned Del Rey's song,"Video Games" at Coachella this weekend. 

Billie Eilish joins Lana Del Rey at #Coachella to perform “Video Games.” pic.twitter.com/GwqYGhkQLt

— IndieWire (@IndieWire) April 13, 2024