McCloskeys Indicted On Gun Charges, Evidence Tampering

ST. LOUIS, MO — Mark and Patricia McCloskey have been indicted by a grand jury in St. Louis on charges of exhibiting weapons and evidence tampering, the Post-Dispatch reports, citing their attorney.

The couple drew national attention, including from the president, over the summer when they brandished guns at demonstrators outside their Portland Place home during a protest against St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson.

"Once all the facts are out, it will be clear the McCloskeys committed no crime whatsoever," the couple's lawyer, Joel Schwartz, told KMOV. The television station reports that the evidence tampering charge is connected to Patricia McCloskey's pistol, which she turned over to attorney Al Watkins before it was eventually provided to police.

Mark McCloskey defended himself and his wife Tuesday outside the Carnahan Courthouse.

"The government chooses to persecute us for doing no more than exercising our right to defend ourselves, our home, our property and our family, and now we're getting drug here time after time after time, and for what?" he said. "We didn't fire a shot. People were violently protesting in front of our house and screaming death threats and threats of rape and threats of arson. Nobody gets charged, but we get charged."

But there is no evidence any protesters were violent during the confrontation. While the McCloskeys claim protesters smashed through a gate, video shows the gate open and protesters freely walking through it prior to the confrontation. It's not clear how the gate was damaged or who damaged it. And while the McCloskeys claim protesters threatened them, none of the videos show it. The couple initially said they armed themselves because of those threats, but later told KMOV, "the threats happened probably after we got the guns."

McCloskey continued: "What you are witnessing here is just an opportunity for the government, the leftist, Democrat government of the city of St. Louis to persecute us for doing no more than exercising our Second Amendment rights."

But cell phone video of the incident shows Patricia McCloskey's finger on the trigger of her semi-automatic pistol as she yells at protesters. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardener charged the couple with the unlawful use of a weapon in July.

"It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in a nonviolent protest, and while we are fortunate this situation did not escalate into deadly force, this type of conduct is unacceptable in St. Louis," Gardener said at the time. "The decision to issue charges was made after a thorough investigation with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department."

The McCloskeys have since become conservative icons and were even given speaking slots at this year's Republican National Convention.

President Donald Trump previously defended the couple on Twitter and said during an interview with Townhall Media shortly after the incident, "They were going to be beat up badly, if they were lucky, and the house was going to be totally ransacked and burned down." He called their prosecution a "disgrace."

There's no evidence that what the president said is true. The protesters were not on Portland Place to confront the McCloskeys. They were on their way to the mayor's house. And no other residents of the street were injured or had their property damaged.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a fellow Republican, has said he will "without a doubt" pardon the couple if they are convicted.