United States: couple who pointed their guns at anti-racist protesters pardoned

A couple of Americans who pointed their guns at anti-racist protesters outside their homes in 2020 have been pardoned of their convictions for crimes related to the event, the governor's office of conservative Missouri announced on Tuesday (August 4). central United States.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey, both lawyers, pleaded guilty last month to assault for him, and harassment for her.

They had been fined $ 750 and $ 2,000 respectively by a St. Louis court.

The couple were originally charged with misuse of weapons, after a video recorded them barefoot on the lawn of their glitzy home, brandishing their guns and shouting at participants of a peaceful march. Black Lives Matter, Against Racism and Police Abuse, June 28, 2020.

Backed by Missouri Conservatives

Republican Missouri Governor Mike Parson granted the couple a pardon last week after promising them such a move early in their legal woes, with state Tories ardently defending the McCloskeys' conduct.

No evidence had been provided that the couple were threatened by protesters while Mark McCloskey carried a semi-automatic rifle, and Patricia McCloskey waved a pistol.

"

" St. Louis prosecutor Kimberly Gardner said in a statement when the couple was charged last year.

Mark McCloskey candidate for the Senate

The McCloskeys had become a symbol of the rift between conservative white Americans and African Americans demanding justice. The two had even become heroes of the conservative cause in last year's presidential election, predicting Democrats would strip Americans of their gun rights. "

," Patricia McCloskey said in a video made in support of Donald Trump.

Last May, Mark McCloskey announced he was campaigning to become a Missouri senator in Congress. In an election video, he highlights the event, while accentuating the supposed threat the couple faced. “

” he said, before adding, “

"