Police in St. Louis, Missouri on Friday evening served a search warrant on Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a couple whose armed confrontation with protesters outside there home went viral.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police seized one of the weapons allegedly used by the couple on June 28 when they confronted protesters outside their home. A St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department press officer, Sgt. Keith Barrett provided a statement to American Military News, confirming they confiscated a semi-automatic Colt. .223 caliber rifle.
Barrett would not provide further details as to why the rifle was confiscated or whether the McCloskeys were facing any
The McCloskeys were filmed standing on their lawn with their firearms after protesters reportedly broke through a gate to gain entry to a private street leading past the couple’s Portland Place property.
Following the June 28th incident, Mark said he felt threatened by the protesters after learning about a riot in which 7-Eleven store was set on fire in downtown St. Louis.
Mark said he and his wife were warned by neighborhood homeowner trustees about a planned protest near the private neighborhood.
“We weren’t concerned about it until it got up to the point where the Kingshighway gate was and realized there was no security, no police, nothing to keep them from coming in,” Mark McCloskey said in comments to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “And then they did come in and it was a flood of people.”
Barrett provided details about the June 28 protest incident, providing a description of an incident report showing officers responded to a call for help from the property owners, described as the victims in the incident. The victims, as described by the incident report, said the group had gone onto their property and had yelled obscenities and threats of harm. The victims also reportedly observed multiple members of the group who were armed, prompting them to arm themselves and contact the police.
KDSK 5 News reported police did not recover another firearm seen from the protest incident, a handgun Patricia was seen holding in videos taken during the armed confrontation. Police said the McCloskeys told them their attorney had the handgun in his possession. The KSDK 5 further reported that the attorney who first represented the McCloskeys, Al Watkins, was no longer representing the couple.
Attorney Joel Schwartz has reportedly taken over in representing the McCloskeys. Schwartz also said he did not know where the handgun was.
Schwartz also told the outlet he did not feel charges were warranted against the McCloskeys over the incident and that he expressed hope he could meet with St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to discuss the incident.
