'It's time for the city to cough up my guns': Mark McCloskey throws down after judge expunges convictions against him, wife



A St. Louis judge this week expunged misdemeanor convictions against Mark McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, after the couple in June 2020 famously stood outside their home with guns while facing a mob of Black Lives Matter protesters.

Now McCloskey wants his firearms back, saying in an interview that "it's time for the city to cough up my guns," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. He added that he'll sue if the city doesn't cooperate, according to the paper.

'We were all alone facing an angry mob.'

McCloskey surrendered the two guns he and his wife possessed that day — a Colt AR-15 rifle and a Bryco .380-caliber pistol — as part of an agreement in which he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault and she pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment, both misdemeanors, the Post-Dispatch said. They originally were charged with felonies.

Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson later pardoned the couple, and McCloskey sued in 2021 to get his guns back, the paper said, adding that judges denied that request and a subsequent appeal.

The McCloskeys in January petitioned to expunge their misdemeanor convictions, the Post-Dispatch said, testifying during a March hearing and arguing that they have been upstanding citizens since their guilty pleas. McCloskey said he has continued to work as a lawyer, fighting for his clients, the paper added.

More from the Post-Dispatch:

Attorneys for the city's public safety department, however, asked protesters to testify about how the McCloskeys' actions affected them. They also quizzed the couple on advertisements for Mark McCloskey's subsequent political campaign that featured footage from the incident.

The city and St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore's Office argued that the couple represents a continued threat to public safety and has shown no remorse for the impact of their actions.

But Judge Joseph P. Whyte wrote in an order that the testimony of the protesters showed a threat to public safety on June 28, 2020 — not in the time since.

The purpose of an expungement, he wrote, is to give people who have rehabilitated themselves a second chance. McCloskey's campaign rhetoric is protected by the First Amendment and not evidence of a continued threat, Whyte said.

What's the background?

On Sunday evening, June 28, 2020, the McCloskeys confronted a mob that reportedly had broken through gates in their private community. Mark McCloskey soon afterward said the mob rushed toward their home "and put us in fear of our lives," adding that mob members told the couple that they "would be killed, our home burned, and our dog killed. We were all alone facing an angry mob."

Days later police said they were investigating whether the mob of protesters, which numbered approximately 500, committed fourth-degree assault by intimidation, as well as trespassing. By September, law enforcement officials said they wouldn't prosecute nine Black Lives Matter protesters who were arrested and charged with trespassing.

That was not the case with then-St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who filed charges against the McCloskeys a month after the incident, stating that the couple waved their guns in a "threatening manner" at "peaceful, unarmed protesters." But Gardner at the time was accused of having a history of politically motivated decisions, and then-state Attorney General Eric Schmitt also called out her "political prosecution" of the McCloskeys and filed for dismissal of the charges. By December a judge dismissed Gardner from the case because the George Soros-backed attorney used it in fundraising emails.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

McCloskeys plead guilty to lesser charges, forfeit guns from encounter with rioters



The St. Louis couple who became famous last year for displaying guns at protesters trespassing on their property have agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor crimes and to give up the firearms they brandished in the incident.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey, both attorneys, had originally been charged with felonies.

What are the details?

KHOU-TV reported that Mark McCloskey pleaded guilty to a count of fourth-degree assault, a Class C misdemeanor, and will pay a $750 fine. Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment, a Class A misdemeanor, and will pay a $2,000 fine.

The couple both originally faced felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with physical evidence.

As part of the deal, the McCloskeys agreed to allow their guns held in the incident to be turned over to the state and destroyed. Their attorney had requested that the couple be able to auction the firearms off for a charity.

Mark McCloskey told Fox News following the deal, "The good news is we're not in front of charges now, so I don't have any problem getting myself another AR."

Mr. McCloskey, who is currently running for U.S. Senate as a Republican, told the outlet:

They dropped all the weapons charges and they charged me with the lowest level of misdemeanor, which is something called assault four, which alleges that I purposely placed at least one other person in apprehension of immediate physical injury. I said, "Well, I guess I did. That was all point of the guns."

"It's the value of the Second Amendment," he added. "It's kind of humorous for me at any rate, the charge they finally settled on for me, because it's exactly what I did do. That's the whole point of the Second Amendment. We stood out there with guns, and that placed them in imminent fear of physical injury, and they back off."

What's the background?

The McCloskeys confronted rioters outside their home last June, standing guard with weapons after the activists broke down the fence to their private neighborhood purportedly en route to the mayor's house.

The couple, who said the rioters physically threatened them, became a symbol of defiance against the violence that emerged out of several 2020 protests following the death of George Floyd.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner originally charged the couple with the felonies, but was removed from the case after she exploited their prosecution in fundraising emails.

The nine protesters arrested and charged with trespassing on the McCloskeys' property were not prosecuted.

Mark McCloskey — gun-wielding St. Louis attorney who confronted BLM protesters outside his home — considering Senate run



Mark McCloskey — the gun-toting St. Louis personal injury attorney who, along with his wife, Patricia, famously confronted Black Lives Matter protesters outside of their home last year — is reportedly considering a run for U.S. Senate in Missouri.

"I can confirm that it's a consideration, yes," McCloskey told Politico during an interview Tuesday.

Should he choose to enter the race, McCloskey would likely face off against other well-known candidates such as former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and state Attorney General Eric Schmitt in what is expected to be a hotly contested race to replace Republican Sen. Roy Blunt (Mo.) following his retirement.

Last month, Blunt, who currently serves as chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee and ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee, announced he would not seek re-election when his term expires in 2022.

Politico reported Tuesday that McCloskey "had no timeline for making a decision about whether to enter the race," but noted that he spoke over the weekend at a Jackson County GOP dinner event where both Greitens and Schmitt were present.

The McCloskeys were thrust into the national spotlight last June when a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters broke into their private neighborhood and marched beside their home on their way St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's residence.

Claiming to act in fear for their lives and in defense of their property, the McCloskeys confronted the protesters outside their home wielding guns.

Amazingly, the McCloskeys were later charged with a felony count of unlawful use of a weapon/flourishing for their actions — while nine protesters initially charged with trespassing were let off scot-free.

The case drew attention from Republicans on the national stage, including former President Donald Trump, who called the charges "a disgrace" and pledged to "do everything he could within his powers to help with this situation."

Last August, the couple spoke virtually at the 2020 Republican National Convention. During their speech, they defended the president and blasted what they characterized as the Democrats' radical pro-violence agenda.

"It seems as if the Democrats no longer view the government's job as protecting honest citizens from criminals but rather protecting criminals from honest citizens," Mark McCloskey said, later arguing that "if you stand up for yourself, the mob, spurred on by allies in the media, will try to destroy you."

"Make no mistake: No matter where you live, your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats' America," Patricia McCloskey added.

WATCH: Mark and Patricia McCloskey defend right to firearms | 2020 RNC Night 1 youtu.be

Judge removes St. Louis prosecutor from McCloskey case



A judge on Thursday dismissed the St. Louis prosecutor from the case against Mark McCloskey. A judge determined that improper fundraising emails by Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's campaign infringed on the McCloskeys' right to receive a fair trial.

Circuit Judge Thomas Clark II said that fundraising emails from Gardner's re-election campaign to constituents "raise the appearance of impropriety and jeopardize the defendant's right to a fair trial."

"Like a needle pulling thread, she links the defendant and his conduct to her critics," Clark wrote in the 22-page ruling. "These emails are tailored to use the June 28 incident to solicit money by positioning her against defendant and her more vocal critics.

"This is a high-profile case, receiving extensive media coverage, eliminating any possibility that any assistant circuit attorney is unaware of Ms. Gardner's incipient interest, initial involvement and advocacy on this matter," Clark said, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"In short, she identifies her critics, links them to (Mark McCloskey), requests the campaign contribution to fight back and forewarns criminal prosecution by holding defendant 'accountable,'" Clark wrote. "To a reasonable person, this language forecasts prosecutorial action."

Gardner, a Democrat, contends that the emails were used to defend herself from conservative politicians and media. Gardner claims she was under "national scrutiny from our divisive President, the Republican establishment of Missouri, and the right-wing media, including Fox News," as reported by NPR.

Clark dismissed the reasoning by stating, "Ms. Gardner has every right to rebut criticism, but it appears unnecessary to stigmatize defendant — or even mention him — in campaign solicitations, especially when she purports to be responding to others. In fact, the case law and Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit it."

The ruling was a big legal win for the McCloskeys. The husband and wife's attorney, Joel Schwartz, filed a motion in July to dismiss Gardner from the case because of the fundraising emails.

"The July 17th email drew a direct line from the incident, which had not yet resulted in criminal charges, to Ms. Gardner's political antagonists and from there to a call for donations to further her re-election efforts," Schwartz argued. "It implied that the defendant was among those 'perpetuating a system of systemic racism and police brutality.'"

In July, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt urged Gardner to dismiss the case against the McCloskeys, and asserted that the St. Louis prosecutor is "engaged in a political prosecution."

As far as what happens next, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported:

State law directs the St. Louis Circuit Court's presiding judge to appoint another prosecutor in the case, the order says. Patricia McCloskey's case is assigned to Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer, who will replace Circuit Judge Rex Burlison as St. Louis' presiding judge next year.



Gardner filed felony gun charges against the McCloskeys in July after the couple brandished firearms as Black Lives Matter protesters marched near their home in Missouri. Clark noted that the fundraising emails suggest that Gardner "initiated a criminal prosecution for political purposes."

In 2016, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the George Soros-backed Safety & Justice Committee super PAC made contributions to Gardner's campaign of "at least $190,750.73."

KSDK-TV reported in July, "New York-based billionaire George Soros pumped $116,000 into the Missouri Justice & Public Safety Political Action Committee, which is supporting Gardner."

The McCloskeys were indicted in October on felony charges of unlawful use of weapons and tampering with physical evidence. They have pleaded not guilty.

Grand jury indicts McCloskeys with gun exhibiting charges, adds charge of tampering with evidence



A grand jury indicted a St. Louis couple on charges of exhibiting guns, and added one charge each of tampering with evidence.

The indictment was announced Tuesday.

The McCloskeys became material for memes nationally when they waved their guns in June at Black Lives Matter protesters who had trespassed into a private neighborhood on their way to protest at the mayor's home. The McCloskeys said that they feared for their lives and they reacted by protecting their property with their weapons.

The charges of tampering with evidence relate to a gun that their lawyer turned over to investigators. It was inoperable at the time they handed it over, but prosecutors had it re-assembled to be operable.

The McCloskey's attorney, Joel Schwartz, said that the indictment was not a surprise and that he was confident they would be exonerated of the charges.

"Once all the facts are out, it will be clear the McCloskeys committed no crime whatsoever," Schwartz said.

"Frankly because the grand jury is not an adversarial process and defense counsel are not allowed in there and I have no idea what was stated to the grand jury and what law was given to the grand jury," he added.

Nine protesters were charged with trespassing over the incident, but local officials refused to prosecute them.

'Exercising our Second Amendment rights'

Mark McCloskey expressed frustration and anger over what he saw as selective enforcement of the law.

"Every single human being who as in front of my house was a criminal trespasser. They broke down our gate, they trespassed on our property. Not a single one of those people are now charged with anything," he said. "We're charged with felonies that could cost us four years of our lives and our law licenses."

He went on to warn voters against supporting Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) in the presidential election.

"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," McCloskey concluded.

Here's a local news video about the McCloskeys' reaction:

Raw interview: McCloskeys go off about gun charges after pointing weapons at protesterswww.youtube.com

McCloskeys make greeting cards from photo of them guarding home with guns — and hilariously give one to foul-mouthed protester



Mark and Patricia McCloskey appear to have a knack for one-upping leftists.

First, they stand in front of their St. Louis home holding guns, making a left-wing mob think twice about pulling any funny stuff after it broke into their gated neighborhood amid the George Floyd rioting in June.

A St. Louis couple in front of their home tonight as protesters marched past in the city’s Central West End. (photo… https://t.co/EIvDbCTWrh
— Casey Nolen (@Casey Nolen)1593397636.0

A month later, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner filed charges against the McCloskeys for unlawful use of a weapon/flourishing, saying the couple waved their weapons in a "threatening manner" at "peaceful, unarmed protesters."

Despite the charges hanging over their heads, the enterprising couple apparently had greeting cards made from one of the many images of them warding off the mob — and then Mark McCloskey graciously stuck it to a foul-mouthed protester who confronted the couple on video after they emerged from a print shop with the cards.

What are the details?

"Abolish the suburbs! You are terrorists!" the leftist woman hollers at the McCloskeys as they walk to their vehicle.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @314khalea

"Do you think pointing guns at protesters is nice?" the woman continues to yell. "It's fun? You think you're cool?"

"F*** you and your guns!" she adds as they enter their SUV. "F** you!"

With that, Mark McCloskey exits the vehicle and approaches the camera — and he's not holding a gun; he's holding one of the cards they created and hands it over: "Here, have a souvenir."

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @314khalea

The woman speaking on video isn't impressed: "F*** both y'all!" The McCloskeys begin to back out of their parking space, and that's where the clip ends.

Content warning: Language:

They got 1,000 of these printed and have even been signing them https://t.co/LPAhR8IRAl
— Defund 2 Abolish (@Defund 2 Abolish)1600729005.0

How are folks reacting?

As you might expect, more than a few Twitter commenters are backing up the McCloskeys all the way and enjoyed their greeting card idea:

  • "GOOD. They have absolutely EVERY RIGHT to defend their home and property against violent rioters," one person wrote. "Because that's what they WERE."
  • "Love it. F*** you marxists," another commenter said. "You're not going to win."
  • "Do you know if they have a website where I can buy one of their cards?" another person asked.
  • "And to think they used to be Democrats, until a bunch of worthless, terrorist traitors decided to take up space on their property," another commenter wrote. "You idiots are destroying your own party, because you are too ignorant to know any better. Thanks for the extra @realDonaldTrump votes. #Trump2020."