Mom of accused cop shooter: He didn't do it

Sharon Walker's son, Gregg Thomas, surrendered in shooting of Sgt. Keith McNeill 

 BALTIMORE —The mother of the man accused of shooting an off-duty Baltimore City police officer on Friday said her son didn't do it, even though he turned himself in to police.

Sharon Walker, 51, is the mother of Gregg Thomas, the 34-year-old who turned himself in to police Sunday after a two-day manhunt in the shooting of Baltimore City Police Sgt. Keith McNeill on Friday night. Police said McNeill was off duty and sitting in his truck as he was running personal errands when someone approached and shot him multiple times.

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Walker said she was shocked to find out that her son was Public Enemy No. 1.

"Do you think your son shot that police officer?" 11 News reporter George Lettis asked Walker.

"No, I don't," Walker replied. "I know he wouldn't go shoot no police officer. The whole story's not coming out like it's supposed to."

But she couldn't produce any evidence to prove her son's innocence. She also said she hasn't spoken to him.

Lettis asked her why Thomas would turn himself in if he didn't do it.

"Because he don't want nobody hunting him down. They was looking for him, so he might as well turn himself in," she said.

Charging documents show Thomas was identified by witnesses who picked him out of a photo array.
A motive for the shooting is still unknown, but it's clear that Thomas has a violent past.

"In early 2000, he took a human life. He went to prison for an amount of time. He got out early. He ambushed my officer," Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said over the weekend. "Gregg Thomas is a coward."

"That was years ago," Walker said of that conviction.

"Is he sorry for what he did then?" Lettis questioned.

"Yeah," replied Walker, who also had a message for her son. "I just want him to know I love him, and I'll be there for him."

When asked if she had anything to say to the family of the police officer, she replied, "I'm sorry what happened to him. I don't know what happened."

Police said Walker and two other relatives were also arrested Sunday on outstanding warrants in relation to drug charges.

Meanwhile, McNeill is still in critical condition at Shock Trauma. Officials said he has not improved since he had surgery Friday night.