Officer Leonardo Quintana was suspended for 15 days for the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Nathaniel Sanders II in May. At the time of his death, Sanders was asleep in the back of a Mercedes-Benz station wagon.

Although Quintana was cleared of any criminal charges—police officials have said that Quintana fired at Sanders, after being awakened by Quintana, reached for a gun near his waist—Quintana was suspended for not activating the dash camera of his patrol car.

Quintana’s suspension, which was handed down by Police Chief Art Acevedo Nov. 4, has angered the East Austin community because of its short length. A citizens oversight panel that reviewed the case recommended a 90-day suspension for Quintana because the officer failed to use appropriate protocol and did not properly identify himself to Sanders.

Adam Loewy, the Sanders’ family attorney, believed the inquiry into Sanders’ death was flawed and Quintana’s subsequent penalty was weak.

“I think it’s overwhelmingly clear at this point that the entire investigation is botched,” Loewy said. “The entire investigation was seeking one result and that was to protect and to exonerate this officer. It was not seeking the truth.”

It seems questionable that the mechanism for accountability comes from within the department. By nature, a police department has the feel of a fraternity, and understandably so. As a collection they take on the largest and potentially most harmful threats in the community. But it is questionable, then, that there exists objectivity in an internal investigation as to the actions of an officer versus a possible threat.

Expecting objectivity when liability is judged from within the police force is illogical. Instead, there should be some form of authoritative body outside of the brotherhood of the police department. Although the citizens oversight panel that recommended Quintana’s punishment clearly exists, its current incarnation lacks any influence. A new panel would uphold a standard of actions of the officers against the community, just as they hold citizens accountable for their behavior.

No matter the context, the Quintana case resulted in the death of an 18-year-old citizen. When the consequence is that great, the guilty party deserves more than an introspective slap on the wrist. Whether or not Quintana acted out of line and deserved further discipline than two weeks off of the streets, the system as it stands is begging to be abused.