RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The mother of a mentally ill black man fatally shot by police in Baltimore is urging a federal appeals court to revive her case against the officers.

Maurice Donald Johnson was unarmed when he was shot in 2012 by two Baltimore officers, who are white, after Marcella Holloman called 911 because her son was having a mental health episode during her granddaughter’s birthday party.

A federal court sided with the officers in Holloman’s lawsuit last year. The judge ruled the shooting was justified because the man was acting violently.

An attorney for Holloman urged a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn that decision Tuesday, saying the case highlights problems with Baltimore police that were detailed in a recent Justice Department report.