Mark and Patricia McCloskey have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges resulting from a confrontation with a violent mob in June of last year, surrendering the firearms they used in the incident.
Last June, the McCloskeys, who are both in their 60s and lawyers, shot to national attention when they used an AR-15 rifle and a handgun to defend themselves from a violent, radical mob of Black Lives Matter and antifa activists who broke down the gate to their community. Around 300 protestors stormed through the gate near their home in the Forest Park neighborhood of St Louis, Missouri. Shortly following the incident, Mark McCloskey said that he and his wife had feared for their lives, concerned that the mob could burn down their house, or worse.
A couple pointed guns at protesters in St. Louis as a group marched toward the mayor's home to demand her resignation. https://t.co/5EqDd43QCd pic.twitter.com/KWNaif77ch
— ABC News (@ABC) June 29, 2020
As a result, both McCloskeys were indicted in October on felony charges for the unlawful use of a weapon and evidence tampering. However, these charges were dropped, with Patricia and Mark pleading guilty on Thursday to smaller misdemeanor charges, with Patricia being fined $2,000 for misdemeanor harassment, and Mark fined $750 for misdemeanor fourth-degree assault. Judge David Mason asked Mark if he acknowledged his actions “put people at risk of personal injury,” to which Mark unapologetically replied, “I sure did your honor.”
Both McCloskeys also agreed to give up the firearms that they used in the incident, although they can continue to own firearms and do not face the possibility of losing their law licenses because they had only been charged with misdemeanors.
“One year ago, an angry mob crashed through my gate, and threatened my life, my family, and my home,” Mark McCloskey said in a statement responding to the guilty plea. “The prosecutor dropped all charges against me, except for a claim that I put other people in imminent fear of physical harm. That’s exactly what I did, that’s what the guns were for. And any time the mob comes and threatens me, I’ll do the same thing again to protect my family.”
A year ago, the mob came to my door to attack my family— I backed them down
The mob came for me, the media attacked me & prosecutors tried to punish me for defending my family
They dropped all charges, except for a claim I instilled “imminent fear” in the mob
I’d do it again. pic.twitter.com/ECPsSwa2Iw
— Mark McCloskey (@mccloskeyusa) June 17, 2021
Mark, who is running for Senate in Missouri, added that he would “stand up to the liberal mob” in the Senate, just as he did at the front door of his house. National File had the opportunity to speak to him in April before his official announcement, where he described himself as an “outsider who can get things done,” just like President Trump, who supported the couple at the time. “I’ve said before that God came knocking on my door in the form of 300-500 angry rioters. And that showed me that we need people to stand up and fight for our God-given rights and way of life, and I must help lead that fight.”