Missouri governor Mike Parson has come out in defense of the St. Louis couple who defended their home from protesters who tresspassed in their private community and hurled threats at the couple.
It’s good to see that some politicians still believe in justice in America.
According to governor Parson, the couple “had every right to defend their property.”
KXXV has the story:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson launched into an impassioned and unprompted defense of the St. Louis couple seen waving guns at Black Lives Matter protesters last month and later suggested that President Donald Trump has taken an interest in the situation.
Mark and Patricia McCloskey were seen on video June 28, brandishing an AR-15 rifle and a handgun while confronting protesters marching through the Portland Place neighborhood, where the McCloskeys live.
Police in St. Louis executed a search warrant at the McCloskey home Friday at the behest of St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s office. The couple’s lawyer said police seized an AR-15 from the house and that the couple had previously surrendered the handgun.
On Tuesday, after introducing a new grant program for small businesses during a press conference, Parson told reporters that he wanted “to address the McCloskey situation in St. Louis.”
Parson said the McCloskeys were using the Castle Doctrine to protect their property from protesters, “which they had every right to do.”
During his time as a state legislator, Parson helped expand the Castle Doctrine in Missouri — a stand-your-ground law that permits property owners to use any means deemed necessary, including deadly force, to protect themselves and their property when threatened.
Parson said police weren’t notified of the situation before reiterating “that couple had every right to protect their property."
President Donald Trump has spoken out about the incident as well and believes the couple is being unfairly persecuted.
Governor Parson says he has spoken to President Trump, who is following the situation closely.
Our friends at Fox News have more:
The governor of Missouri says President Trump has promised to "do everything he could within his powers" to shield a St. Louis couple who wielded guns at protesters in their gated community from prosecution, even as an attorney for the client says charges are imminent.
Gov. Mike Parson said he spoke to Trump Tuesday and was reassured that the president-- who previously has retweeted a photo of the couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey holding up guns in front of their house in the June 28 incident--"understands the situation in Missouri."
A couple draws their firearms on protestors as they enter their neighborhood during a protest against St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. June 28, 2020, in this picture obtained from social media. (Reuters)
"He understands the situation in St. Louis and how out of control it is for a prosecutor to let violent criminals off and not do their job and try to attack law-abiding citizens," Parson said at a press conference.
"The conversation I had with the President, said that he would do everything he could within his powers to help with this situation," Parson added.
Parson and Trump's conversation comes days after police served a search warrant at the McCloskey's home in the upscale Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, in the same area where the city's Democratic mayor, Lyda Krewson, lives.
Nearly 500 protesters marching for racial equality and against police brutality were headed towards Krewson's residence during the June 28 incident, after she read off the names and addresses of individuals petitioning to defund the police. Mark and Patricia McCloskey came out of their house, brandished their guns, and demanded the protesters leave because they were trespassing. The couple later told Fox News' Sean Hannity that they were fearful that the protesters would "kill us" and "burn down the house."
Police seized the rifle that Mark was holding in the now-viral video of the incident, while a handgun that Patricia was holding was turned over to St. Louis Police Saturday by the couple's attorney Albert Watkins. The handgun had been in Watkins's possession as evidence that it was inoperable when she pointed it at protesters "in defense of themselves and their home at [the] time of the march," Watkins told Fox News.
As this story continues to unfold, we hope justice will be served and this couple can get on with their lives.
This is a simple case of someone exercising their 2nd Amendment rights.
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