Baltimore Mother Meets With President About Police Brutality

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Police brutality has become a hot button issue nationwide. Wednesday night, a Baltimore mother and others took the fight for change right to the top: the group is in Washington DC to meet with President Barack Obama.

Christie Ileto has more on their message.

Ten women with the same story: they're mothers of young men from across the country whose sons were gunned down by police.

"My son Dale Graham was a 29-year-old law student. He was shot and killed by a Baltimore City police officer," said Darlene Cain.

Cain is from West Baltimore. She and the group Mothers Against Police Brutality are bringing their stories to the faces of power in Washington, demanding a change in police culture.

"The police officers need to be accountable," she said. "This is what we want."

Thursday, Cain and about a dozen other moms will take their message to White House officials, hoping to show them police brutality is not isolated to Ferguson or New York City.

"It says a lot of things that this issue is so important that the White House is sending someone to meet with them," said Code Pink organizer Alli McCracken. "It shows that the power of people in the streets is actually having an impact."

Their visit comes as grand juries decide not to hold responsible the cops involved in the shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown and the police chokehold that killed Eric Garner.

Protests of outrage and peaceful "die-ins" are happening across the country, including Baltimore. It's that personal mission Cain says will help keep this circle of grieving mothers from expanding.

Last week, President Obama announced funds for 50,000 police body cameras to suit officers across the country and help restore the public's trust.

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