Missouri’s attorney general is seeking to dismiss felony gun charges brought against a husband and wife who aimed firearms at protesters outside their St. Louis mansion, insisting the couple had a right to defend their home.
State AG Eric Schmitt took to Twitter on Monday night with a video statement and a lengthy series of posts, arguing the case against Mark and Patricia McCloskey – which included a felony firearms charge as well as misdemeanor assault – “threatens to intimidate and deter law-abiding citizens from exercising their constitutional right of self-defense.”
“The right to defend one’s person, family, home and property has deep roots in Missouri law. Self-defense is the central component of the right to keep and bear arms, which receives the highest protection from the MO Constitution,” wrote Schmitt, adding that he’d filed a pair of briefs to dismiss the charges.
In fact, this political prosecution sends a powerful and dangerous message: You exercise [your] right to keep and bear arms at your own peril. If you do, you may find yourself in prison.
Brought against the McCloskeys earlier on Monday by circuit attorney Kimberly Gardner, the suit alleges the couple illegally brandished weapons in a “threatening manner” at people “participating in a nonviolent protest.” The two homeowners claim they felt the protesters posed a threat to their lives, arguing they acted in self-defense, however the charges against them moved ahead regardless.
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