A man who pointed his AR-15 at Black Lives Matter protesters outside his home near St. Louis said he and his wife, who also pointed a handgun at the demonstrators, feared for their lives when the group got too close to them.
“A mob of at least 100 smashed through the historic wrought-iron gates of Portland Place, destroying them, rushed towards my home, where my family was having dinner outside and put us in fear of our lives,” Mark McCloskey, a local attorney, told KMOV. “This is all private property. There are no public sidewalks or public streets. We were told that we would be killed, our home burned, and our dog killed. We were all alone facing an angry mob.”
Videos and images taken at the scene show the couple holding up their firearms and shouting at the protesters as they passed through the private community, which is gated.
The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson after she publicly read aloud personal information of people who had advocated for defunding the local police department.
Video of the interaction went viral on social media, with some praising the couple for protecting their property. Others suggested it was an unnecessary escalation that could have led to someone getting hurt.
Mark and Patty McCloskey, St. Louis personal injury attorneys, now forever known as some of the worst people in America. https://t.co/4DDGdXVRSj
— Justin Hendrix (@justinhendrix) June 29, 2020
here’s what happens when you march on Portland Place in St. Louis, MO
they’re scared of their own community pic.twitter.com/Ng8qW1Pa6C
— avery (@averyrisch) June 29, 2020
Somehow, the major Boogaloo subreddit has survived the massive ban purge so far, and has spent the day lionizing the St. Louis couple who pointed their guns at protesters this weekend. pic.twitter.com/Xj805rmcP1
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) June 29, 2020
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner said she was “alarmed” by the McCloskeys’ apparent show of force.
“I am alarmed at the events that occurred over the weekend, where peaceful protestors were met by guns and a violent assault,” Gardner said. “We must protect the right to peacefully protest, and any attempt to chill it through intimidation or threat of deadly force will not be tolerated.
