Dismissal of Charges Against McCloskey’s
At the end of June, a rioting mob broke down the gate of a private, gated neighborhood to “protest”. Some of those rioters were armed. The couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, took to protesting their home with their firearms.
It didn’t take long for the internet to go up in arms and for the top prosecutor to lay charges while having the McCloskey’s legally purchased firearms confiscated.
Missouri Attorney General, Eric Schmitt, has filed briefings in support of the McCloskey’s.
St. Louis top prosecutor, Kim Gardner, has charged Mark and Patricia McCloskey Monday with felony unlawful use of a weapon. They allegedly displayed their firearms in a threatening manner.
“Enough is enough,” Schmitt said in a video statement shortly after the charges were filed. “A political prosecution such as this one would have a chilling effect on Missourians exercising the right to self defense.”
President Donald Trump came out in favor of the couple. President Trump said, “When you look at St. Louis, where two people, they came out. They were going to be beat up badly if they were lucky. If they were lucky. They were going be beat up badly and the house was going to be totally ransacked and probably burned down like they tried to burn down churches. And these people were standing there, never used it and they were legal, the weapons, and now I understand somebody local, they want to prosecute these people. It’s a disgrace.”
In Missouri, there is a stand your ground law. This means that you are not required to retreat from a threat. You can stand your ground. Missouri also has a castle doctrine law. This law allows residents to use force against intruders, without the duty to retreat, based on the notion that your home is your ‘castle’…this legal doctrine assumes that if an invader disrupts the sanctity of your home, they intend to do you harm and therefore you should be able to repel their advances.
