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Watch A Mom Stop Her Son From Rioting

by Melissah Yang

The Baltimore riots that erupted Monday night has left a city reeling in fires and violence. With so many charged emotions running on both sides, one particular video of a woman beating a suspected Baltimore rioter has caught the attention and praise of the Internet. The woman is believed to be the mother of the young man, according to ABC 2 and discussion of the video across Twitter and Facebook, and appears to be disciplining him for participating in the riots.

During the incident, which aired on live television, onlookers gawk as a woman in yellow chases after a young man dressed in a black hoodie, gloves, and a bandana covering his face. She beats his head and attempts to pull him back as he walks away. She yells at him, "You want to be out here doing this?" At one point, the young man pulls away and she screams at him, "Get the f*** over here."

The Internet is praising the woman as "the mother of the year" for trying to get her son off the streets and away from the looting. Both activists and authorities have condemned rioters for resorting to violence and looting in the moments after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after sustaining a life-ending spinal injury while in police custody earlier this month.

(Warning: This video contains strong language.)

Bystanders captured other angles of the encounter with their cell phones and posted videos on social media. The young man appears to offer no response to the furious woman.

Baltimore police asked parents to "locate their children and bring them home" since many of the looters were youths. Public schools in Baltimore will be closed Tuesday, and a mandatory city-wide curfew will be in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. from April 28 to May 5. The video caught the attention of Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, who referenced the incident during a press conference late Monday night.

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.

In this case, it appeared the woman was successful. Another video reposted on Instagram showed the defeated man trailing behind the woman as they walk away from the riots. Remember kids, mama is always right.

Image: ABC