Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the couple from St. Louis, Missouri, who pointed guns at Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters near their home, have pleaded not guilty to felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and evidence tampering.
According to charges filed against the two in July, Mark McCloskey pointed an AR-15 rifle at protesters, while Patricia McCloskey, brandished a semi-automatic handgun. A grand jury later added an evidence tampering charge, with an indictment cited by The Associated Press alleging the semi-automatic pistol was altered in a way that “obstructed the prosecution of Patricia McCloskey.”
Al Watkins, a former attorney to the couple, said last week that the accusations against the McCloskeys “effectively [demonstrate] the highest degree of ineptitude and inappropriate behavior” from Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s office. A spokeswoman for Gardner declined to comment.
Gardner, a Democrat, in July charged the couple with felony unlawful use of a weapon. She said that the charges came after a “thorough investigation” with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and that it is “illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in nonviolent protest.”
Watkins said it wasn’t clear what led to the additional tampering with evidence charge.
The charges relate to a June 28 incident when the McCloskeys brandished guns at BLM protesters outside their home in what they said was self-defense. The couple said shortly after the incident that they were in fear for their lives and also released a statement saying that their actions “were borne solely of fear and apprehension.”
The couple’s attorney Joel Schwartz told KMOV last week that he wasn’t surprised by the indictment and that the grand jury didn’t have all the facts. “Once all the facts are out, it will be clear the McCloskeys committed no crime whatsoever,” he said.
Mark and Patricia McCloskey arrive for a court hearing along with their attorney Joel Schwartz, center, in St. Louis, Mo., on Oct. 14, 2020. Jeff Roberson/AP Photo
The McCloskeys have blamed the “leftist” Democrats in St. Louis for their plight, while many conservatives have thrown their support behind the couple.
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
