St. Louis couple indicted for brandishing guns at protesters

By Brendan O'Brien

 

Patricia McCloskey and her husband Mark McCloskey draw their firearms on protestors, including a man who holds a video camera and microphone, as they enter their neighborhood during a protest against St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. June 28, 2020. REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant 

 

(Reuters) - A St. Louis, Missouri grand jury on Tuesday indicted a couple with unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence, more than three months after they brandished guns at protesters marching outside their home, their attorney said.

 

Personal injury lawyers Mark McCloskey, 63, and his wife Patricia McCloskey, 61, have said they were frightened for their lives on June 28 when demonstrators protesting against police violence marched by their mansion.

 

The protests were part of a nationwide wave of demonstrations over police violence against Black people prompted by the killing in May of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer.

 

Republican President Donald Trump in July said charging the couple was an abuse of power and the McCloskeys addressed the Republican National Convention in August.

 

“What you’re witnessing here in this case is just an opportunity for the government, the leftist, Democrat government of the city of St. Louis to persecute us for exercising our Second Amendment rights,” said Mark McCloskey in front of the courthouse in St. Louis on Tuesday after a hearing in the case was postponed.

 

Videos show the McCloskeys, who are white, shouting at Black and white protesters, who are apparently unarmed, to keep off their property. Patricia McCloskey pointed a handgun at the crowd while her husband held a semi-automatic weapon.

 

Kimberly Gardner, the city’s chief prosecutor, filed felony unlawful use of a weapon charges against the couple in July before bringing the case to a grand jury, which indicted the couple on unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence felonies, their attorney said.

 

“It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in nonviolent protest, and while we are fortunate this situation did not escalate into deadly force, this type of conduct is unacceptable in St. Louis,” Gardner said in a statement when she filed charges.

 

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Chris Reese, Bill Tarrant and David Gregorio)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-07

 

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9 minutes ago, webfact said:

tampering with evidence

Interesting.

 

Definitely guilty of:

 

fashion sense

un-safe firearm handling

general douchery

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 7, 20205 yr by mtls2005

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

Videos show the McCloskeys, who are white, shouting at Black and white protesters, who are apparently unarmed, to keep off their property.

White. Black. White. Says who? How is this relevant? We have no way of knowing how the McCloskeys racially identify. Lots of people that at 1st appear to be white actually identify as being an ethnic minority for a variety of reasons. Just look at Rachel Dolezal, Jessica Krug and Elizabeth Warren. 

 edit to add, and why does white get a small w, while Black gets a capital B in the same sentence? Reuters seem intent to race bait readers, very sad indeed.

 

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

“It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in nonviolent protest, and while we are fortunate this situation did not escalate into deadly force, this type of conduct is unacceptable in St. Louis,” Gardner said in a statement when she filed charges.

That may be so, but the McCloskeys go to sleep at night safe and sound in the knowledge there are no rioters and trespassers smashing down their front gate and entering their property. Not sure whether they win the war, but they won this battle.

Edited October 7, 20205 yr by TopDeadSenter

Let´s hope they lockém up and throw the key. Such slime cowards are a danger to others and had no reason whatsoever to fear for their own safety.

 

At times like this I am sad that the medieval handcuffing trough holes in a log for people to spit on them in an open square has gone away.

4 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

White. Black. White. Says who? How is this relevant? We have no way of knowing how the McCloskeys racially identify. Lots of people that at 1st appear to be white actually identify as being an ethnic minority for a variety of reasons. Just look at Rachel Dolezal, Jessica Krug and Elizabeth Warren. 

 

That may be so, but the McCloskeys go to sleep at night safe and sound in the knowledge there are no rioters and trespassers smashing down their front gate and entering their property. Not sure whether they win the war, but they won this battle.

How is what you post relevant? Who broke down any gate or trespassed on the McCloskeys property? Take a good look at the picture. They are outside their fence and unarmed. The only ones that are a danger to society is the McCloskeys.

These protestor's had no right to be in that area. As much as the husband and wife are not the best of people, I too would have protected my property.

20 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Interesting.

 

Definitely guilty of:

 

fashion sense

un-safe firearm handling

general douchery

Apparently the tampering charge related to her pistol which had been rendered inoperable when surrendered to Police. No doubt their attorney will insist it was that way when brandished at the passersby. 

2 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

These protestor's had no right to be in that area. As much as the husband and wife are not the best of people, I too would have protected my property.

How can you protect your property when nobody is entering it? Since when is it right to assume that someone will trespass on your property and point guns at people out of that belief?

2 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

These protestor's had no right to be in that area. As much as the husband and wife are not the best of people, I too would have protected my property.

They were walking past the McCloskey's property when threatened with firearms. They were going to the mayors house further up the road to lodge their protest.

It's not the McCloskey's job to threaten deadly force against people walking on what they considered to be their private street. 

The people who are responsible for the enclave declined to bring trespassing charges against the protesters.

10 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Apparently the tampering charge related to her pistol which had been rendered inoperable when surrendered to Police.

 

Ah OK. I just assumed it was a cigarette lighter given how she was handling it.

 

Hubby's handling of the M-16 was actually worse.

 

 

 

 

Great news.

Throw the book at them.

They are clearly obnoxious racist horrible people.

Also lawyers.

 

17 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

How can you protect your property when nobody is entering it? Since when is it right to assume that someone will trespass on your property and point guns at people out of that belief?

Come on Matzzon. Go back and read the story for how they entered the area and how they acted. I will say that these 2 characters are very despicable at best and have done a lot of terrible stuff against many people, but in all honesty these protestors around the USA are not to be looked at as upstanding and non violent.

59 minutes ago, webfact said:

A St. Louis, Missouri grand jury on Tuesday indicted a couple with unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence, more than three months after they brandished guns at protesters

Good

29 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

They were walking past the McCloskey's property when threatened with firearms. They were going to the mayors house further up the road to lodge their protest.

It's not the McCloskey's job to threaten deadly force against people walking on what they considered to be their private street. 

The people who are responsible for the enclave declined to bring trespassing charges against the protesters.

I don't like or respect these 2 classless white trash people, but I don't blame them for doing what they did. If they end up going to jail then it is just karma coming back to them for what they had done to others. The people are trash but the protestors are not upstanding either.

9 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Come on Matzzon. Go back and read the story for how they entered the area and how they acted. I will say that these 2 characters are very despicable at best and have done a lot of terrible stuff against many people, but in all honesty these protestors around the USA are not to be looked at as upstanding and non violent.

I have read the story. Sure, they should not have entered into that area. However, if you happen to walk in the wrong area, would you think it is okay for people to hysterically shout at you at the same time pointing a gun at you? Still the protesters did nothing violent, and you have no right to point guns att people just because you can´t hack it in a diversified society.

24 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Great news.

Throw the book at them.

They are clearly obnoxious racist horrible people.

Also lawyers.

 

Glad to read some objectivity to the posts ????

 

2 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

I have read the story. Sure, they should not have entered into that area. However, if you happen to walk in the wrong area, would you think it is okay for people to hysterically shout at you at the same time pointing a gun at you? Still the protesters did nothing violent, and you have no right to point guns att people just because you can´t hack it in a diversified society.

We can agree to disagree. Although these 2 white people are trash, the protestors actions through out the USA over years have been obnoxious and riotous and violent and this instant is no exception for how it could have ended as how they made it begin by breaking down a gate.

22 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Come on Matzzon. Go back and read the story for how they entered the area and how they acted. I will say that these 2 characters are very despicable at best and have done a lot of terrible stuff against many people, but in all honesty these protestors around the USA are not to be looked at as upstanding and non violent.

The vast majority of the protesters are both upstanding and non violent.

Please try to be smart enough to distinguish between protestors and rioters.

Indicted?

 

Should have been given a medal.

'St. Louis couple indicted for brandishing guns at protesters'

 

LOCK 'EM UP!

2 minutes ago, Blue Muton said:

The vast majority of the protesters are both upstanding and non violent.

Please try to be smart enough to distinguish between protestors and rioters.

Sorry. Just takes a few bad eggs to make them all look bad.

3 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Indicted?

 

Should have been given a medal.

Perhaps by the KKK.

1 minute ago, holy cow cm said:

Sorry. Just takes a few bad eggs to make them all look bad.

Yeah this couple are most definitely bad eggs. Ask the people at the nearby synagogue. 

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah this couple are most definitely bad eggs. Ask the people at the nearby synagogue. 

Yep they are definitely the epitome of white evil trash, but the protestors have taken most instances out of context for the most part. One thing for sure is the USA is growing more unpleasant and divided by each day that goes by.

I said at the time, these two clowns will live to regret Trump ensuring the spotlight was on them.

 

Their legal bills are mounting by the minute.

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

How can you protect your property when nobody is entering it?

What a stupid statement: Nobody is entering it, or has the opportunity to -- because your protecting it with a visible show of fire power. There are a lot of shopowners in cities around the country who wished they has shown some firepower before their windows were smashed. The MAGA mafia, by and large, turns me off. But with the leftward tilt of the US, it's certainly easy to see why there are so many of them....

19 minutes ago, JimGant said:

What a stupid statement: Nobody is entering it, or has the opportunity to -- because your protecting it with a visible show of fire power. There are a lot of shopowners in cities around the country who wished they has shown some firepower before their windows were smashed. The MAGA mafia, by and large, turns me off. But with the leftward tilt of the US, it's certainly easy to see why there are so many of them....

Which is why they were charged, its illegal

23 minutes ago, JimGant said:

What a stupid statement: Nobody is entering it, or has the opportunity to -- because your protecting it with a visible show of fire power. There are a lot of shopowners in cities around the country who wished they has shown some firepower before their windows were smashed. The MAGA mafia, by and large, turns me off. But with the leftward tilt of the US, it's certainly easy to see why there are so many of them....

No, you have no right to protect yourself with a weapon against a person/persons that have not made an unlawful entry into your private property. That is not called to protect, that is called threatening a person/person with a weapon. That is to be considered an unlawful act.

Storm in a teacup, Trump will pardon them.

1 minute ago, Matzzon said:

No, you have no right to protect yourself with a weapon against a person/persons that have not made an unlawful entry into your private property. That is not called to protect, that is called threatening a person/person with a weapon. That is to be considered an unlawful act.

So, in Missouri at least, a shopowner, with a huge glass front window, can't threaten a potential looter by aiming a firearm at him -- until that looter has actually thrown the brick through the window. But, if the looter doesn't throw the brick through the window, the shopowner is in violation of the law -- by brandishing a weapon and preventing a crime. Makes sense to leftward leaning Democrats, I guess.....