Caught on video: US mum smacks, berates son for rioting

An angry mother was filmed on video slapping and berating her son for participating in riots that erupted in Baltimore, United States.

The woman, who CNN identified as Toya Graham, recognised her 16-year-old son, even though he had put on a black face mask.

According to The Daily Mail newspaper, she had spotted her son on television.

In the video, Ms Graham can be seen pulling her son out of the group of rioters, repeatedly smacking and screaming at him loudly, before pulling off his mask.

He eventually managed to separate himself from her and tries to walk away, but she continued to chase after him.

The video has gone viral on social media. Netizens have hailed Graham's actions, with some calling her "mother of the year" on Twitter.

Graham, who is a single mother with six children, said that she had acted only out of concern for her son.

"That's my only son and at the end of the day, I don't want him to be a Freddie Gray," she told CBS News, referencing the man whose death due to spinal injuries while in police custody sparked the wave of protests throughout the city.

seanyap@sph.com.sg