Guns pointed at protesters should not go back to Mark McCloskey, judge rules

ST. LOUIS (KMOV) – A St. Louis judge upheld the plea deal that required Mark McCloskey to surrender the guns he pointed at protestors in 2020.

Mark and his wife Patricia McCloskey were accused of pointing guns at peaceful protesters in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. The duo was then accused of trying to change the condition of the guns to tamper with evidence.

Both were charged with felonies, but in June 2021 as a plea deal the charges were lowered to misdemeanor assault charges. As part of the plea deal, the McCloskeys agreed to surrender the guns they pointed at the protesters. The rifle was turned over to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the handgun was turned over to St. Louis Sheriff’s Department. Both departments were ordered to destroy the weapons.

In July 2021, Governor Mike Parson pardoned the couple on the assault charges. The McCloskeys then tried to argue they should not have had to surrender their guns because they were pardoned.

In the recent order, the judge ruled that they guns should have been surrender because the couple took a plea deal where they admitted guilt, and the pardon had no bearing on the plea deal.