Mark and Patricia McCloskey have been charged by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner. The couple face a felony and misdemeanor charge for “unlawful use of a weapon.”
“Today my office filed charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey following an incident involving peaceful, unarmed protestors on June 28th. 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. The decision to issue charges was made after a thorough investigation with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department,” St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner released in a statement. “I am open to recommending the McCloskey’s participate in one of my office’s diversion programs that are designed to reduce unnecessary involvement with the courts. I believe this would be a fair resolution to this matter.”
No matter how you slice it, this is a politically motivated prosecution. Nowhere in Gardner’s statement does it mention the mob the McCloskeys confronted had broken a gate and rushed their home. Nor does it mention the fact that Missouri is a stand your ground state or that it is also a “castle doctrine” state.
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Missouri governor Mike Parson has already signalled his intention to issue a pardon to the pair if they were indicted. President Trump also weighed in on the matter. He suggested Attorney General Bill Barr look into the prosecutor on this case.