A grand jury indicted Mark and Patricia McCloskey on Tuesday for brandishing their weapons and tampering with evidence.
The grand jury indicted the St. Louis couple on a weapons charge, as well as tampering with evidence, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The indictment comes after St. Louis Circuit attorney Kim Gardner charged both Mark and Patricia with one count of felony unlawful use of a weapon in July, arguing the display of guns threatened the mostly peaceful protesters, per the AP.
The McCloskey’s made headlines in June after a video showing the couple brandishing their weapons at Black Lives Matter protesters who reportedly trespassed onto private property went viral. The McCloskey’s disagreed with Gardner, claiming they feared for their lives.
“I was terrified that we’d be murdered within seconds,” Mark said in an interview with KMOV in June. “Our house would be burned down, our pets would be killed.”
St. Louis Circuit attorney Kim Gardner (@StLouisCityCA) has charged Mark and Patricia McCloskey with one count each of felony unlawful use of a weapon. pic.twitter.com/xHhonCXMR0
— Tony Messenger (@tonymess) July 20, 2020
Speaking outside the courthouse, Mark McCloskey said the charges were unfair, according to Fox News. (RELATED: McCloskeys Appear To Make Memorabilia Out Of Their Armed Confrontation With Protesters)
“Every single human being that was in front of my house was a criminal trespasser. They broke down our gate. They trespassed on our property. Not a single one of those people is now charged with anything,” he said. “We’re charged with felonies that could cost us four years of our lives and our law licenses.”
Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he would “without a doubt” pardon the couple while speaking on Hannity in July.
“I will do everything within the Constitution of the State of Missouri to protect law-abiding citizens and those people are exactly that,” Parson said. “They are law-abiding citizens, and they’re being attacked frankly by a political process that’s really unfortunate.”
The Daily Caller reached out to Parson for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.