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

(Image credit: Courtesy of the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty Images)

published 18 June 2021

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.

After images of the McCloskeys holding their guns as protesters walked by their home began circulating online, they became conservative darlings. Former President Donald Trump defended the couple, and they spoke at the Republican National Convention. In May, Mark McCloskey said he was running as a Republican candidate for Senate in Missouri, and his campaign ads have featured photos from his face-off with protesters, The Washington Post reports.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

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.