Governor Mike Parson of Missouri pardoned Mark and Patricia McCloskey on June 30, 2021. The McCloskey’s, who are both lawyers in their 60s, live in St. Louis.
Background The Pardon
In June of 2020, Black Lives Matter rioters came into a fenced-in community to protest to then Mayor Lyda Krewson on the killing of George Floyd. The BLM protesters came to a private street near the McCloskey house. As the rioters came close to the McCloskey’s house, Mark and Patricia McCloskey came out armed with an AR-15 style rifle and a semiautomatic pistol. [1]
Pleading Guilty
Both McCloskey’s pleaded guilty. Mark McCloskey was fined $750 for misdemeanor fourth-degree assault, while Patricia McCloskey was fined $2,000 for misdemeanor harassment. [2] They didn’t have to give up their law licenses or their right to own guns; but as part of the plea they agreed to relinquish the weapons they waved. [3] Mark McCloskey later said,
I’d do it again. Any time the mob approaches me, I’ll do what I can… [4]
Pardoning Them
On June 30, 2021, Governor Parson pardoned the McCloskey’s. [5] Mark McCloskey thanked Governor Parson for pardoning him and Patricia McCloskey.
Today we are incredibly thankful that Governor Mike Parson righted this wrong and granted us pardons. [6]
Notes:
- ^https://apnews.com/article/michael-brown-st-louis-20062ccc6593bd91757ad1ea4a190db5 (go back ↩)
- ^https://www.foxnews.com/us/missouri-pardons-st-louis-mccloskey-gun-waving (go back ↩)
- ^https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article253235468.html (go back ↩)
- ^https://www.foxnews.com/us/missouri-pardons-st-louis-mccloskey-gun-waving (go back ↩)
- ^https://governor.mo.gov/press-releases/archive/addendum-governor-parson-grants-12-pardons-commutes-two-sentences (go back ↩)
- ^https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/03/mccloskey-pardon/ (go back ↩)
