A husband and wife from St. Louis are defending their decision to brandish firearms against Black Lives Matter protesters, after videos of the scene went viral on social media. Personal injury lawyers Mark and Patricia McCloskey faced backlash after the situation unfolded.
Protesters reportedly marched past their Forest Park home while on their way to challenge Mayor Lyda Krewson. The Associated Press reported that the group pushed down a fence to gain access to the neighborhood that the couple live within.
The Tennessee Star quoted Mark McCloskey as saying:
We were threatened with our lives, threatened with a house being burned down, my office building being burned down, even our dog’s life being threatened
The couple exited their home with weapons. Mark was holding a rifle while Patricia had a handgun. The footage and photography was some of the first to elicit this type of shock and awe.
After videos of the couple went viral, the husband claimed the pair felt the need to arm themselves because they feared for their lives.
The McCloskeys’ attorney, Albert Watkins, told the Associated Press the couple are long-time civil rights advocates. He also told the AP that they support the message of the Black Lives Matter movement. He claimed they decided to retrieve their firearms when “a few white protesters violently threatened the couple” and their property.
BLM protestors barraged a neighborhood. Man comes outside with his AR-15 to defend his family. Incredible. https://t.co/7rZXZd9oYF
— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) June 29, 2020
A Democrat running for a state Senate seat said Monday his campaign won’t keep a contribution he received last year from the St. Louis attorney. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mark McCloskey also gave $3,250 to Russ Carnahan, a Democrat, in 2016 when the former U.S. representative was running for lieutenant governor.
Kimberly Gardner, circuit attorney for St. Louis, said in a statement on Monday that she is investigating the McCloskeys for their ‘threat of deadly force.’
No charges have been brought against McCloskeys, and though police said they were still investigating they labelled the situation a case of trespassing and assault by intimidation against the couple by protesters.
This article cites information and media from NBC, Fox Unilad and the AP. For more sports, news and entertainment follow the Midwest Sports Network on Twitter @MWSNsports or like our page on Facebook.
