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justice for christopher. >> nobody wants to bury their children. >> a family appeals to the feds to investigate their son's death at the hands of a police officer. the changes they demand. [ applause ] hello, everyone, i'm vick carter. here's what people are talking about tonight. if family of baltimore county teen christopher brown is fighting on. they are calling for an independent investigation into the night he was killed by an off duty police officer. worse' live, megan ma core kill has more on their plan. >> reporter: christopher brown's family say are not happy with the manslaughter charges filed against that baltimore county officer. they've made it their mission to get murder charges filed in

this case. >> i didn't see this day come ♪ my son's not hear today . >> reporter: an emotional moment for the mother of 17- year-old christopher brown. her son gone. >> he was a sweetheart. he was loving, if he was kind. >> reporter: brown died june 13th after a group of friends threw rocks at the front door of officer james la board. investigators say the off-duty officer chased brown, dragged him out of the bushes and a struggle ensued. brown fell unconscious and died. the cornerrer in ruled it homicide by asphyxiation. the officer was charged with manslaughter and released on his own recognizance, a move the brown family calls an insult. >> there is no way he should be walking the streets like this and i don't have my son. >> reporter: the family now petitioning the state's attorney's office to file second degree murder charges. tonight, supporters gathered to rally around the family and sign that petition.

>> we want second degree murder. nothing less. >> reporter: they're also appealing to lawmakers to ban police officers from using any force that could restrict a person's airway. >> imbrue care if it's 5 choke -- i don't care if it's a choke hold, sleeper hold, whatever can put you unconscious, we don't want that to ever happen again. >> reporter: preventing another tragedy a life long mission now for one mother. >> we are hurting and we want justice for christopher. so that no other life, and i am talking nobody else has to suffer like this. >> reporter: and the brown family plans to meet with the state's attorney next week. live at baltimore county police headquarters, megan mccorkle, wjz. >> the state's attorney's office tells us 24r are no new developments in this case. a guilty plea from the man accused of shooting gabby giffords and several others. after months of psychiatric treatment, jared lee layoffer in agreed to spend life in prison. for 19 counties of murder, attempted murder and trying to assassinate a member of

congress. loughner's plea deal means he won't go to trial or face the death penalty. the victims of another deadly shooting rampage are remembered in wisconsin. the six people shot and killed in a sikh temple sunday. the oak creek community is leaving tributes and flags are flying at half staff. tonight the suspect's family is trying to make sense of the attack. we continue to investigate his ties to white supremacy in maryland. mike hellgren has the latest. >> reporter: several watch groups say this was wade make ill page's sound track of hate. white supremacist muses from his band and apathy. the southern poverty law center says he performed in baltimore and a maryland based record label distributed it. it's part of a troubling picture to emerge of the sikh temple shooter who authorities say killed six people before police killed him. >> the tattoos were his badges, proving that he was part of this violent neo nazi skin head

group. >> reporter: page has brought attention to underground racist groups in maryland. michael green burger from the university of maryland. >> people with extreme mill ma lisch is that groups or -- militia groups are every bit ooze dangerous as traditional terrorists. >> reporter: the record label denounced the violence. a maryland skin head watch group listed several addresses in south baltimore for the man who runs label 56. w.j.z. went to the homes but got no response. one of page's military friends said he spoke of a racial holy war but the suspected gunman's step war says that's not who she knew. >> what has changed him, i have no idea. and obviously, we're never going to know. >> he had hispanic friends and he had black friends. >> reporter: some believe the government is not doing enough to monitor hate groups and home grown terrorists when the warning signs are there.

>> because we've made it politically unpopular to watch out for these people and do something about it, we've left ourselves vulnerable. >> reporter: military sources say page was dishonorably discharged from the army 14 years ago. it's unclear how many times he visited maryland. mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. the f.b.i. believes that page acted alone. a major fire breaks out at one of the big oil refineries. black smoke and flames could be seen for miles and 350 people were treated for breathing problems. experts say the damage could push west coast gas prices above $4. a gasoline tanker crashes on a busy highway in maryland and ties up traffic for hours. the 8000 gallon truck lost its trailer on southbound richie highway near route 10 in anne arundel county. you can see from sky chopper 13, environmental workers shut down the highway. the spill is under control tonight. four new deaths in maryland

linked to the summer's oppressive heat. excessive temperatures for days on expend power outages packed a 1-2 punch. this summer is now the second deadliest on record. wjz is livep kai jackson has morton unusual conditions. >> reporter: vick, this new information underscores how deadly the heat can be. a scorching summer sun has taken its toll on maryland residents. state health officials say the heat in 2012 has been deadly. >> part of the problem with the heat this july was that it was one of the hottest months ever on record. tied for fifth hottest. >> reporter: so far this year 38 people across the state have died due to the heat. last year at this time, 34 people had died from heat illness. the highest number of heat deaths was 39 in 2006. this year, most of the victims were over 65. doctors like alicia gibson say they've seen proof of the hot weather in the emergency room. >> a lot people coming in with heat complaints, heat related

illnesses this summer than last summer. >> reporter: the tipping point for heat related problems apparently happened between june 29th and july 8th. that period followed the destructive derecchio storm that knocked out power to 1 million maryland residents. some heat deaths involved victims who lost air conditioning due to that power outage. doctors say the bodies of young people the end to manage the heat fairly well. the problem comes with those who are older and those could be old orr young who have underlying medical conditions. >> i passed out and i stay understood week in the hospital. >> because of the heat? >> yes. >> maryland's chief medical examiner dr. david fowler says sometimes information about heat related deaths isn't released until 2 to 3 months after they happen. however he also says sometimes those jets do not require autopsies. >> kai, thank you. doctors say diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease can become worse because of the heath. conflict in the catholic church over maryland's same sex

marriage law. with the voter referendum 90 days away. supporters are trying to win over undecided catholics. anna may as the new campaign. >> reporter: many maryland catholics find themselves at odds with their church over same sex marriage. >> each life whether it's son or daughter, is precious. and they deserve a full life. including marriage. >> reporter: catholic parents with gay children now urging voters to approve marriage equality this november. supported by high profile catholics like former lieutenant governor kathleen kennedy town sen. >> marriage equality is really consistent, deeply consistent with what the catholic church over 2000 years has tried to teach. >> reporter: the afternoon diocese doesn't see it that way. >> for someone to claim to be espousing church teachings when they don't have the authority to do it, i think there is always the risk that people will be confused. >> reporter: the new archbishop made same sex marriage a key issue during his recent installation. >> and to uphold the

institution of marriage as between a man and a woman. >> reporter: catholics will be a major factor in the state referendum. support is split with 14% still undecided according to a recent poll. city council men and catholic bill cole. >> i would certainly prefer that my church recognize same sex couples. the legislation referendum doesn't impose anything on the catholic church or any other. >> reporter: the most recent poll shows marriage equality winning by 14 points. >> i think maryland will make history and say yes, we're for it. >> reporter: despite the catholic church's opposition to same sex unions, the afternoon diocese tells me they will not contribute any money to the politic:campaign against it. adam may, wjz eyewitness news. economists estimate that same sex weddings could boost maryland's economy by $90 million a year. after an incredible landing, the mars rover curiosity is sending back a good look at the red planet. nasa received the first color photo and video of the

landscape. scientists say it's unprecedented. curiosity will rove marchs for two years trying to find evidence that the planet could sustain life some day. coming up, goodbye to a musical genius. [ music ] >> remembering the man behind some of hollywood and broadway's best numbers. >> plus, another movie threeter. why an ohio man says he brought guns to a recent batman showing. >> swine flu outbreaks in several states have county fair leaders on high alert. >> the humidity will be making a come back, the first warning forecast is coming up next. ♪

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it's cloudy and 75 degrees in central maryland right now. the complete first warning weather forecast is coming up. a father and son are struck by lightning while vacationing on an island in the florida panhandle. police say the son had an ankle injury so the father was trying to carry him to safety during the storm. and the lightning hit him. the father died at the scene. his 14-year-old son is in critical condition. frightening moments in north texas when a large helicopter crashes in a field. investigators say the two person crew escaped without injury. they say the 16-seat helicopter suffered substantial damage.

the pilot reported a problem with the tail rotor. the aircraft had just taken off from a nearby bell helicopter plant. a major scare at a movie theater in ohio. just before showing of the dark knight rises. an off duty officer working security was alerted to a man carrying a suspicious looking bag. the officer says scott smith opened the bag and inside was a .9 millimeter pistol and several knives. smith told the officer the weapons were for protection. >> he was the first guy in there, the only guy in there. sat in the last row right in the middle. a tactical advantage position basically. nobody was in the theater, thank god. later on, they had 70 or 80 people in that same theater. >> submittals was arrested on a weapons charge. police say a search of smith's house turned up a number of gun, camouflage jackets and a gas mask. police in florida are trying to unravel the mystery behind a man with dozens of fake i.d.'s. they say roy antigua had badges and uniforms identifying him as

everything from a c.i.a. special agent to a coast guard commander. they don't know if he was engaging in extreme fantasy or something more sinister. the operation was discovered an his arrest on a probation violation. he brought music to our ears and joy to our hearts. the incomparable marvin hamlisch will play no more. [ piano music ] >> broadway theaters dimmed their lights tonight to honor the man and his music. hamlisch died after a brief illness yesterday. his works included scores for a coreious line, sophie's choice and the sting. barbara streisand calls him a true musical genius. fears at the fair not from the rides but from the animal. a nationwide warning to be careful your children don't contact swine flu from contact with animals. tonight's healthwatch report is from the howard county fair. >> reporter: a recent string of swine flu cases in several

states has helped leaders and county fair goers on alert. >> i'm nervous. >> reporter: the swine flu virus originates in pigs but can be transferred to humans. right now there are no cases in maryland, but according to the c.d.c., nationwide, 29 have been reported since last summer. 12 of which popped up in the last week of july. in ohio, indiana, and hawaii. [ pig noises ] >> reporter: all of those cases were linked to people who interacted with pigs at county fairs. >> touching the pigs, getting secretions from the pig on their hands and touching their eyes or nose and getting the flu that way. >> reporter: dr. peter belandson from the howard county health department says the swine flu isn't uncommon and no deaths have been reported to far. at the howard county fair, swine farmers weren't taking any chances. >> we all try to make sure not only that they look healthy but they sound healthy. if there's any coughing then we leave them home. >> reporter: at the howard county fair there is also a

swine superintendent who is constantly checking on the health of all these pigs. doctors say people can protect themselves severally by washing their hands, and using hand sanitizer. >> always wash our hands, always do the safety things. you know, use good hygiene and let's the kids still have fun. >> reporter: wjz, eyewitness news. >> this current strain of the swine flu virus is different than the one that caused the pandemic in 2009. young and old alike were enjoying this rare weather scene in johannesburg. it's a chance to play in the snow. it's been several years since snow has fall then the city. workers ran out of their offices and danced as the snow flakes fell. not exactly the reaction we have when it snows downtown. [ laughter ] >> snow in south africa. >> it's only snowed like 20 some times in the last 110 years. it's pretty rare. >> yes. >> because it's surrounded by the ocean which keeps it warmer but it was happen.

around here we've had some thunderstorm activity on the eastern shore and southern maryland. it's finally quieted down. 75 now, no wind at all, 87% humidity. the barometer is holding steady, 2997. right now, pleasantly cool, 66 in oakland, 70 in cumberland. ocean city is 75. d.c. the warm spot at 80. the dew points come up which it normally does at night and it will stay up over the next few days. sticky again and the risk of some thunder showers, certainly possible, 75 westminster, bel air at 77, and napa is in town at 82 degrees right now. very light winds in the region. we had quite a bit of rain over believe it or not the dryest areas of the state. caroline county, queen anne's county, this area has showers for four to five hours. thunder and lightning, really heavy rain fell in some areas there over the eastern shore. that's what they needed not in one spot but they got some pretty decent rain there. might see some more over the next few days.

this has stalled out 0 the the south of us. a lot of shower activity in the carolinas. the next front would give us another chance of thunderstorms. slim chance tomorrow. better chance thursday. a really good shot of maybe some severe thunderstorm activity on friday afternoon and friday night. could be heavy downpours, maybe severe weather as the front crashes into that very warm and humid air mass that will have around the region at that time. here is the front still causing showers down to the south of us. tomorrow in between systems a little bit. we'll see some sun, clouds to the south. maybe some showers continuing in southeast virginia. we might see a pop-up shower although tomorrow it doesn't seem to be that possibility is kind of slim. better chance here as i said on thursday and friday. the tropics, ernesto coming ashore right about now south of cozumel. normalities of belize city. winds up to 86 miles an hour. it's going to actually die out for a while, get back over the water, and grow into a

hurricane probably two landfalls in mexico before it dies out by the mountains. a lot of rain, we'll see flooding from this storm over the next day or so in that region. all the models once again taken across yukatan back into mexico so will not affect the united states. but they will have a mess down there. winds in the day 5 nights, bay temp 83 degrees. overnight, partly and mostly cloudy. more humid around 70. tomorrow back up, close to 90, more humidity, maybe a shower in a few spots, better chance thursday. really good chance on friday. could be strong, 85 left over shower on saturday, drying out. 86 on sunday. >> thank you, bob. check in with don and marty tomorrow morning at 4:55 for the updated first warning weather forecast. coming up, camden yards is home run heaven tonight. the orioles turn up the power in a wild game with seattle. in a wild game with seattle. mark has more next in sports. ,

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mark is here, the fan sports tonight. >> hot tonight, right in >> o's working late into the night. extra innings. there is a pay off if you win. a bummer if you lose. playoff push for the orioles and lately that push has been powered by pitching. a three game winning streak coming into tonight, and during the streak o's pitchers have allowed a total of just one run. going for four in a row, zach britton on the mound facing the visiting seattle mariners at cam don yard. this was not a well pitched or well played game. brit to be charged with an error. gave up 5 early runs. o's trail 5-0 but the bats rally. matt weiters had two home runs. both to center field. this one in the 6th. third time in weiters career he's homered twice in a career. a home run that completes the come back. j.j. hardy delivers a three run shot in the 7th inning. that tied up the game. 7-7. and yes. they're still playing.

because it's still tied. 7-7 now, in the 12th inning. in football, ravens rookie linebacker courtney upshaw took part in today's training camp practice after he had missed more than a week with a shoulder injury. he is not expected to play in the preseason opener at atlanta on thursday. today's workout indoors, coach john harbaugh says his starters will play a quarter or less on thursday. some veterans won't play at all. joe flacco expects to see about a quarter of action. his focus is on getting ready for the regular season games. they matter. and building on last season, a season that ended with the ravens within 1 win of the super bowl. >> i think every year you start over, but we have a lot of confidence. there's no lack of confidence in this group. no lack of confidence on this team. we have been there, and we've done most of it. and you know, we got to get a little bit better, just like arched does. and -- everybody does. and hopefully we are putting in the work, we have confidence we're putting in the work to get that much better than

everybody else. >> again, courtney upshaw did practice today. this reminder, ravens at atlanta thursday. first home preseason game is a week from friday here in baltimore. coach k and team u.s.a. the olympic basketball squad practiced in london today, getting ready for the quarter final game against australia tomorrow. that's carmelo anthony. he has been a key contributor in america's 5-0 record through play. team u.s.a. has played in 16 men's olympic hoops tournament and won the gold 13 times and lebron says yeah, we're that good. >> we'll see if they are when they take the men from down under on tomorrow. still ahead a dip in the pool. how these two trespassers are how these two trespassers are bearing the summer heat. chances are, you're not made of money,

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even though some intruders were using their pool, this family in southern california didn't mind, because they thought these bear cubs were so adorable. they thought the swimming pool was just right on a hot day. after a little swim, the cubs went up a nearby tree to hang out with mama bear. >> if you're afraid of heights this story may not be for you. it starts in the amazon jungle of peru at the top of a waterfall where base jumper cedric dumont decided to free fall off a 2500 foot cliff. he fell for 10 seconds and hit 125 miles per hour before deploying his parachute. he made it safely to the ground and of course, let's give a big cheer to the camera man who also jumped with him. we'll be right back. ,,,,,,,,,