Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley claimed Thursday that the St. Louis Circuit Prosecutor’s Office is incorrectly “attacking” the couple carrying weapons at protesters in their closed community last month, and asked the Department of Justice open an investigation into the case.
In a letter to Attorney General Bill Barr, Hawley called for a federal civil rights investigation into St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s investigation of the McCloskey family for using firearms to defend themselves and their property against protesters. .
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“This is an unacceptable abuse of power and threat to the Second Amendment and I urge you to consider a federal civil rights investigation at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office to determine if this investigation and impending prosecution violates constitutional rights of this family, “Hawley wrote. Barr on Thursday.
“There is no doubt under Missouri law that the McCloskeys had the right to possess and use their firearms to protect themselves from threatened violence, and that any criminal prosecution for these actions is legally unsound,” Hawley continued. “The only possible motivation for the investigation, then, is a politically motivated attempt to punish this family for exercising their Second Amendment rights.”
Hawley’s attempted intervention comes after police filed a search warrant at the McCloskeys’ home in the upscale St. Louis neighborhood in the west center of town, in the same area where the Democratic mayor lives. from the city, Lyda Krewson.
About 500 protesters marching for racial equality and against police brutality made their way to Krewson’s residence during the June 28 incident, after she read the names and addresses of people requesting to remove the police. Mark and Patricia McCloskey left their home, brandished their weapons and demanded that the protesters leave because they were invading. The couple later told Fox News’s Sean Hannity that they feared the protesters would “kill” us and “set the house on fire.”
Police confiscated the rifle Mark was holding in the now-viral video of the incident, while the couple’s attorney, Albert Watkins, handed over a pistol Patricia was holding to St. Louis police on Saturday.
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The gun had been in Watkins’ possession as evidence that it was inoperable when he pointed it at the protesters “in defense of themselves and their home. [the] time of the march, “Watkins told Fox News.
Earlier this week, Missouri Governor Mike Parson said he spoke to President Trump about the matter, saying the president promised to “do everything in his power” to protect the McCloskey family from prosecution.
“He understands the situation in St. Louis and how out of control it is for a prosecutor to leave violent criminals and not do their job and try to attack law-abiding citizens,” Parson said at a news conference.
“The conversation I had with the president said he would do everything in his power to help with this situation,” Parson added.
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The McCloskey family attorney said he viewed Trump’s interest in the case as positive, but said he anticipates imminent state charges against the couple.
Meanwhile, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s office released a statement calling it “incredible that the Governor of the state of Missouri seeks the advice of one of the most divisive leaders of our generation to dominate discretion. from a locally elected prosecutor. “
“Today, both the Governor and Donald Trump came after me for doing my job and investigating a case,” the statement said Tuesday. “As they continue to play politics with handling this issue, spreading misinformation and distorting the truth, I refuse to do so. As I always do, I am reviewing all available facts and the law and will apply them equally, regardless of people. involved. “
Fox News’s Vandana Rambaran contributed to this report.
