St. Louis husband and wife who waved guns at demonstrators plead guilty to misdemeanors

Patricia and Mark McCloskey.
(Image credit: Courtesy of the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty Images)

Patricia and Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who pointed guns at racial justice protesters walking by their house last summer, pleaded guilty on Thursday to misdemeanor charges and agreed to turn over the weapons they wielded during the incident.

Patricia McCloskey, 61, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment and was fined $2,000. Mark McCloskey, 63, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and was fined $750. In October, a grand jury indicted both on felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and evidence tampering, but a special prosecutor agreed to reduced charges. Because they were charged with misdemeanors rather than felonies, the McCloskeys — both personal injury attorneys — can continue practicing law in Missouri.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.