The Baltimore mother who's been hailed as a 'Mom of the Year' for clobbering her rioting son has today revealed she was overcome with terror for his safety.
Toya Graham, a single mother of six, had a very simple explanation when asked why she smacked her 16-year-old son Michael upside his head after she spotted him rioting and throwing rocks at police. She said: 'I don't want him to be a Freddie Gray.'
Graham spoke to CBS on Tuesday after becoming an internet sensation the night before.
She said: 'He gave me eye contact, and at that point, not even thinking about cameras or anything like that...
'That's my only son and at the end of the day, I don't want him to be a Freddie Gray.'
'Is he a perfect boy?
'No he's not. But he's mine.'
The Maryland mother, who is single and has five other children, recognized her son even though he was wearing a black ski mask that covered up much of his face.
When he saw her coming, his first instinct was to run away.
She said: 'He knew he was in trouble. At that point, I just lost it.
'I was shocked, I was angry, because you never want to see your child out there doing that.'
Mother and son got home and flicked on the television so they could continue to watch coverage of the riots.
Graham and Michael went home to watch televison coverage of the riots after she was able to find him
As they watched what was happening outside their home, Michael's Facebook feed began to fill up with people who had seen the video of his mom reeling him in.
Many people wrote that Michael shouldn't be mad at his mom, but rather 'give her a hug'.
Graham, who said she sometimes has to 'shield' her son from the violence outside her home, has seen what can happen on the streets of Baltimore first-hand.
In August of 2014, she was at her home when at least three shots were fired and a man was killed outside on the street on her block in the middle of the night.
The concerned mother checked on her children before heading outside to try to help the victim.
The man died before he could be taken to the hospital and Graham was so shaken, she couldn't even go to work the next day, according to ABC 2.
She said at the time: 'Soon we're not even going to be able to walk out of our doors.
'That was somebody's child, and it's real overwhelming that somebody takes somebody's life like that and he was just left there.'
Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts mentioned Graham's heroics when he spoke at a press conference shortly before midnight on Monday.
Batts said: 'In one scene you had a mother who grabbed a child who had a hood on his head and started smacking him on the head because she was so embarrassed.
'I wish there were more parents out there who took charge of their kids tonight.'
He later added: 'Take control of your kids. This is our city, let's make a difference.'
According to Graham's Facebook profile, she went to high school about ten minutes away from where Freddie Gray was arrested on April 12.
The Baltimore native is an assistant manager at an alcohol and drug treatment center that offers inpatient and outpatient treatment as well as manages crisis and halfway housing.
It should be no surprise to her son, but her favorite quote is: 'U not ready for this'.
The encounter, which was captured by WMAR, didn't last long but it certainly looked painful for the sorry son.
The video did not fly under the radar on social media either and many Twitter users began re-posting it and saying the woman was the 'Mom of the Year'. After Graham was identified on Tuesday, even more people began offering up their congratulation and appreciation for what she had done.
One person wrote: 'The mother of the year is Toya Graham - she is now my hero - I love her - she is awesome - she parents - LOVE HER.'
Someone else said: '#Toyagraham my respect to the mother who tried to stop her son from joining the #baltimoreriotss. As I often say 'off with his hoodie''
Another Twitter user added: 'Mother's Day is May 10th, someone better do something for Toya Graham!'
Dailymail
WATCH VIDEO HERE
Toya Graham, a single mother of six, had a very simple explanation when asked why she smacked her 16-year-old son Michael upside his head after she spotted him rioting and throwing rocks at police. She said: 'I don't want him to be a Freddie Gray.'
Graham and Michael went home to watch televison coverage of the riots after she was able to find him
WATCH VIDEO HERE
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