Baltimore mom who smacked son during riots: 'I don't want him to be a Freddie Gray'
Mom of the year? Woman drags son away from protests
Toya Graham's response to the Baltimore police request that parents take their children out of the thick of violent protests has some people calling her "mom of the year."
On Monday evening, Baltimore police tweeted a plea to parents to remove their kids from demonstrations protesting the death of Freddie Gray. The protests had turned violent Monday afternoon. During the violence, at least 15 police officers were injured and people set vehicles and buildings on fire. Nearly 200 individuals were arrested.
- Troops fan out to maintain order, week-long curfew begins
- The Wire creator urges Baltimore rioters to go home
Police said several juveniles were among the aggressors.
Several juveniles are part of these aggressive groups. WE ARE ASKING ALL PARENTS TO LOCATE THEIR CHILDREN AND BRING THEM HOME.
—@BaltimorePolice1/2: We are asking for the MEDIA to assist us in relaying this message. Due to the large number of juveniles in these violent groups.....
—@BaltimorePolice2/2: ...we are asking for PARENTS to please bring your children home. We don't want to see anyone get hurt.
—@BaltimorePoliceGraham's son, Michael, was among the protesters when his mother showed up to take him home.
Several news organizations and bystanders filmed the encounter, which shows Graham yelling at her son, one of her six children, and hitting him several times around his head.
At one point, she grabs him by the scruff of the neck and pushes him away from the protests.
"I turn around and I look in this crowd and my son is actually coming across the street with this hoodie on and a mask. At that point I just lost it," Graham told CBS News. "That's my only son, and at the end of the day, I don't want him to be a Freddie Gray. But to stand up there and vandalize police officers, that's not justice."
"I was angry," Graham went on to say. "I was shocked 'cause you never want to see your child out there doing that."
Here's a better video of the Baltimore mom really going at her rioting son <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TightSlap?src=hash">#TightSlap</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a> <a href="http://t.co/KJqGpizErP">pic.twitter.com/KJqGpizErP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GargiRawat">@GargiRawat</a>
—@GargiRawatAccording to some social media accounts of the incident, Graham was angry because she believed her son had been throwing bricks or rocks at police.
The mother was reportedly watching television at home when she saw her son throw the rocks and decided to go out and get him herself.
Many appreciated her no-nonsense response to his alleged behaviour.
Way to go Mom! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreMom?src=hash">#BaltimoreMom</a>
—@MarciaMorfordMother of the year goes to the mom who smacked her kid for throwing bricks at police! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/motheroftheyear?src=hash">#motheroftheyear</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Baltimore?src=hash">#Baltimore</a>
—@pdayer88To the mother who was taped slapping her son during the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a> my mom would have done the same to me if i was involved.
—@jman61828Mom did the right thing to protect her son from what's going on yesterday. Good for her! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gooddaydc?src=hash">#gooddaydc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a>
—@QuaishaunCShout out to the mom that pulled her rioting son out of that to smack him around. This time, violence works. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/momoftheyear?src=hash">#momoftheyear</a>
—@LaurielMoralesOne mother said she would likely do something similar if her teenage sons were involved in a situation that provoked police.
As the mom of teenaged boys, they KNOW life would not be pretty if they were stupid enough to loot, burn or assault police. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a>
—@DeborahPeasleySome couldn't help but make fun of the young man.
That kid's mom totally compromised his street cred. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a>
—@DevinBieryThat awkward moment when your mom catches you rioting. Lol <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a> this destruction is solving nothing people <a href="http://t.co/H5NdFbFyqh">pic.twitter.com/H5NdFbFyqh</a>
—@davej4420Others failed to see the humour in the situation.
Some even found it ironic that the woman would use violence considering the situation in Baltimore.
i don't get whats so funny about the video of that mom dragging her son away from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a>, she's looking out for him, tough love
—@_aminaythe thing about the video of the "mom" hitting the "son" at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a> is that she is using violence to stop violence
—@TweetAtMollyIf that kid getting hit by his mom for rioting is the main thing you're taking away from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BaltimoreRiots?src=hash">#BaltimoreRiots</a> you're dumb.
—@ryanhoussein