Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons has followed through on a pledge he made last July to pardon Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who brandished firearms at BLM activists who stormed through their gated community and threatened them.
In June, the attorneys pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges, paid fines, and gave up their weapons, though Mark purchased a new firearm shortly afterwards.
Mark McCloskey proudly embraced the charge after the prosecutor “dropped all the felony charges, all the gun charges, and charged me with a crime that said I purposely placed other people in apprehension of imminent fear of physical injury.”
“And, by God, I did it,” McCloskey said. “That’s what the Second Amendment was there for … and I couldn’t say no to that one.”
Parson issued pardons the following month, on July 30, though they were only announced this week, according to Fox 2 News.
“As many of you know, Patty and I faced political prosecution for having the audacity to defend our lives and property from an angry mob,” Mark said in a statement responding to the pardons. “Today we are incredibly thankful that Governor Mike Parson righted this wrong and granted us pardons. It was actually Governor Parson who, while serving as a State Senator, led the charge to pass the Castle Doctrine—guaranteeing Missourians the right to defend themselves with all necessary force.”
Mark, who is now running for a U.S. Senate seat, said he “appreciated” the governor’s efforts and noted that they wish to work with him and state legislators on strengthening the Castle Doctrine.
“[W]e recognize there is still work to be done. In our case, the Circuit Attorney raided our home a year ago and seized the guns we used to protect ourselves. We are calling on the General Assembly to protect Missourians’ constitutional rights and pass Legislation fixing this broken piece of law.”
Statement from Mark and Patty McCloskey on Governor Parson’s Pardon pic.twitter.com/9OyFTNoQtp
— Mark McCloskey (@mccloskeyusa) August 4, 2021