Couple say innocent in gun-waving case

ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis couple celebrated in some circles and vilified in others for waving guns at protesters marching past their house on a private street pleaded innocent to two felony charges at a brief hearing Wednesday.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who are both attorneys in their early 60s, were indicted by a St. Louis grand jury last week on charges of unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence. They will appear in court again Oct. 28.

The June 28 protest was part of a national wave of racial injustice demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. A few hundred marchers were on their way to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson’s home when they veered onto a private street in the city’s Central West End.

The McCloskeys said the protesters not only ignored a “No Trespassing” sign but also broke down an iron gate. Protest leaders denied damaging the gate.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner originally first filed the weapons charge in July. The grand jury added the evidence-tampering charge.

The McCloskeys have blamed the “leftist” Democrats in St. Louis for their plight and have become folk heroes among some conservatives. They have received support from President Donald Trump, and they spoke on video during the opening night of the Republican National Convention.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has defended the couple’s right to protect their home and said he will pardon them if they are convicted.