A fight between two dogs in September at a Washington, D.C. neighborhood festival has left one dead, one injured, and strong public opinion on both sides of the issue.

Big 3 News reader Candace, an animal rights advocate, says an online petition has been started demanding justice for the pit bull mix dog shot by a police officer at the 32nd Annual Adams Morgan festival.

“A dog named Parrot lost his life on September 12th at a DC festival in front of thousands,” Candace recently told Big 3 News. “After getting into a small tussle with a poodle, DC police officer Scott Fike pinned Parrot down to the ground with his knee, three him down a stairwell and shot him in front of children and their parents. Parrot showed no sign of aggression, according to witnesses.”

Fox News 5 reported the incident began when Parrot allegedly attacked Sushi, a white poodle owned by Sheila Martin Silva. The poodle suffered broken bones in his right paw and his wounds required stitches. The attacking pit bull was characterized by Martin Silva as “aggressive.”

According to a Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) report about the incident, officers working overtime for Adams Morgan Day first heard a large group of people yelling and gathering in front of a local business establishment. An officer was on top of Parrot trying to subdue him, while a second officer was holding the white poodle which had a bloody leg.

“The pitbull was attempting to get up by squirming back and forth and trying to bite (the officer),” the MPD report stated. “The pitbull had a bloody nose and appeared to be out of control.”

The report further stated an officer was bitten on the hand and wrist and subsequently picked up the pitbull and threw it into a stairway.

“Fearing for his safety and the safety of the large crowd that had gathered, (the officer) discharged one round from his departmental issued 9MM Glock, stricking the pitbull causing it to fall to the bottom of the stairs,” the report noted.

The dog later was determined to be dead and animal control was called.

While some eyewitnesses believe the officer was justified in using deadly force against the pitbull, others believe the action was excessive and unnecessary.

“The photographs taken showed Parrot already contained,” said Candace. ” There was no reason for Officer Scot Fike to kill this innocent being. Its time for Parrot to get the justice he deserves, so locals are starting a petition and holding protests.”

An online petition, which has received over 17,000 signatures, has been started calling for an investigation into Parrot’s death, as well as a Facebook page.

An attorney for Officer Fike says people are letting the emotional aspect of the incident get in the way of facts.

“He’s being portrayed as a monster by bloggers and it’s totally unfair,” attorney Dale Sanders told the Washington Blade in a recent interview. “He’s the last person in the world to shoot a dog if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.”

Sanders told the news organization that Fike is a dog lover and was himself assigned to the department’s canine unit.

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