Missouri couple who defended home have rifle seized during police search

The St. Louis police served a search warrant on Friday night at the residence of Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the couple who made headlines last month when they took up weapons to protect their homes from demonstrators.

During the search, the police seized a rifle that Mark McCloskey had been shown to hold during the June 28 incident, reported KSDK-TV of St. Louis, citing information from a source.

The pistol that Patricia McCloskey carried during the June altercation was still in the hands of a couple’s solicitor, the station reported.

There was no immediate indication that McCloskeys had been arrested or charged with a crime.

On Monday, McCloskeys spoke on Fox News’ “Hannity” and revealed that demonstrators had returned to their area last Friday – they were warned in advance and retained a private security firm to secure their properties.

“We started hiding valuables and securing the house the night before,” said Mark McCloskey to host Sean Hannity.

Last week’s protest was loud but non-violent, the owner said.

In the June attack, Patricia McCloskey said that the family was shocked shortly before dinner, when “300 to 500 people” walked into the gated community where they stayed.

“[They said] they were going to kill us,” said Patricia McCloskey to Hannity on Monday night. “They were going to come in. They were going to burn down the house. They were going to live in our house after I was dead, and they were pointing to different rooms, saying, ‘That’s going to be my bedroom, and that’s going to be the living room, and I’m going to take a shower in that room.'”

The demonstrators said that they were passing the McCloskeys’ home on their way to Mayor Lyda Krewson ‘s home to demonstrate there.

Soon after the June incident, Kimberly Gardner, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney, announced that her office and the St. Louis Police Department would launch an investigation into McCloskey’s use of weapons.

The couple ‘s attorney, Albert Watkins, said in a statement that the couple did not arm themselves until they began to feel threatened.
“My clients didn’t sit on their front stoop with weapons. … No target was on them at the moment they were, as land owners, standing in front of their house,” he said. “It wasn’t until they were actually in a position to see and witness crime, carelessness, lawbreaking, and to know that the police weren’t going to do something.”