A family of geese was crossing a busy Arkansas highway. Two adults watched from the roadside, their voices on camera full of excitement about the baby geese making their way across. Then an Arkansas State Trooper drove through the family, and both goslings were killed.

The footage circulating online has shocked people across the country. Arkansas State Police say the trooper made every effort to coax the geese off the road and that the deaths were accidental. Many people who have seen the video believe what happened was deliberate. That conflict is exactly why an internal review is not enough.

Canada geese are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a law that makes it illegal to harm, kill, or disturb protected migratory birds or their offspring. Violations can result in criminal fines and penalties. The question of whether that law was broken cannot be answered by the same agency whose trooper is at the center of the incident.

Arkansas State Police have stated the matter is being handled by the appropriate law enforcement personnel. But accountability for law enforcement cannot come from law enforcement alone, especially when video evidence exists and public trust is already broken.

We are calling on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to open a federal investigation into whether this incident constitutes a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and on the Arkansas Governor's office to appoint an independent reviewer to examine the trooper's actions and the department's handling of the case. We are also calling on Arkansas State Police to develop and implement mandatory wildlife safety protocols for troopers responding to animals on roadways.

Two goslings are dead. The public deserves the truth.