Exercising the Right
McCloskeys Get Pardoned
This column previously covered the politically motivated criminal prosecution of St. Louis couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who found themselves at the center of a national controversy last year when Black Lives Matter protesters invaded their gated community. As the protesters trespassed on private property outside their home, the McCloskeys stood in their front yard armed with a pistol and an AR-15. Video of the armed couple instantly went viral, and many Second Amendment supporters rallied behind the McCloskeys while leftists smeared them as dangerous gun owners. The McCloskeys are both attorneys and were able to defend themselves in the court of public opinion, with Mark taking on the role of a spokesperson and making numerous media appearances, including on Tucker Carlson’s show on Fox News.
Due to their newfound fame, the McCloskeys even gave a pre-recorded speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention, in which they endorsed then-President Donald Trump. Mark McCloskey would later announce his candidacy as a Republican for a Missouri U.S. Senate seat. Yet there remained a legal cloud over the McCloskeys, because the local prosecutor in St. Louis had charged them with crimes for their actions in the trespassing incident. That changed on July 30, when Missouri Governor Mike Parson pardoned them. Mark McCloskey celebrated the pardon, saying it righted a wrong. As he explained, the Black Lives Matter protesters who trespassed on their property were issued citations for trespassing, which were then dropped by the politically biased prosecutors, whereas the McCloskeys had the book thrown at them. Mark McCloskey told FoxNews, “If you’ve got an ‘R’ behind your name, you’re subject to one kind of justice system and if you have a ‘D,’ you’re subjected to another.”
Self-defense or Revenge Killing?
Local10.com reported on August 4 about a story out of Kendale Lakes, Florida, that really highlighted how a man involved in an armed self-defense situation can cross the line and find himself facing criminal charges. The story began when Christopher Luis went to a drive-up ATM in Miami-Dade County on February 13 and, within a matter of moments, two armed miscreants slowly walked alongside his truck and attempted to rob him. The entire violent encounter was caught on surveillance video, and showed the suspects confront Luis and shoot at him, hitting him in his arm and his hand. Luis had a gun in his car, which he quickly retrieved and then used to return fire at the suspects. One was seriously injured and collapsed nearby, dropping his gun. The other suspect fled the scene and escaped in a nearby getaway vehicle that was driven by a third suspect. Luis exited his vehicle, took the weapon that was laying on the ground near the injured suspect, got back into his vehicle, and drove away.
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