Couple brandish weapons at peaceful protesters
BRANDISHING an AR-15 rifle and a handgun, these shocking images show a couple threatening to shoot peaceful Black Lives Matters supporters as they walk by their home.
Mark and Patricia McCloskey aimed at demonstrators on Sunday evening as they passed through their gated Missouri community.
Hundreds of protesters had gathered to march to St Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson’s house when the two personal injury lawyers emerged from their palatial property.
At one point, barefoot Patricia is seen to stumble while aiming at protesters.
In the video, she is seen pointing her pistol at a protester wearing a T-shirt that reads, ‘Hands up, don’t shoot.’ The man appears to be trying to get people to move away at that time. It is not clear if the guns were loaded.
According to St Louis University legal expert John Ammann, the McCloskeys’ actions could be classified as assault by putting protesters in fear of their safety. People have a right to threaten force if threatened, he said.
However, if protesters are walking by a home and not doing anything to the homeowners specifically, then they do not have the right to threaten lethal force. More than 300 marchers were demanding Mayor Krewson quit after she released names and addresses of residents who had suggested defunding the police department.
Thousands of Americans have called for forces to have their budgets slashed since George Floyd died in police custody last month.