Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says he will pardon armed St. Louis couple who defended their home from protesters
Mark and Patricia McCloskey have been charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon by prosecutor Kim Gardner; reaction from Gov. Mike Parson.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson told "Hannity" on Monday that "without a doubt," he will pardon Mark and Patricia McCloskey, hours after St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner filed felony charges against them.
The charges stemmed from the McCloskeys wielding firearms after a crowd entered their gated neighborhood, and some allegedly threatened them and their property. The McCloskeys argued that they broke an iron gate to get onto the private street.
Parson, a Republican, said Missouri was one of several states with a "castle doctrine" principle wherein people could protect themselves, their family and/or their property in certain situations.
"Without a doubt, Sean," he said when asked about a pardon. "I will do everything within the Constitution of the State of Missouri to protect law-abiding citizens and those people are exactly that. They are law-abiding citizens, and they're being attacked frankly by a political process that's really unfortunate."
He called it a "sad day" for the state and noted that he has already spoken with President Trump, who agreed that the McCloskeys should not be facing felony charges for what they described as self-defense.
"They had every right to protect their property, their home, just like any of us would. If you had a mob coming towards you, whether they tore down a gate or not, when they come on your property, they don't have a right to do that in an aggressive manner. People have a right to protect their selves, their families, their property," said Parson.
He slammed Gardner, a Democrat, as a prosecutor purportedly politicizing her office, claiming to Sean Hannity that she has filed charges in only about 30 homicide cases despite 135 such crimes in St. Louis year-to-date.
"She says she doesn't have the time and doesn't have the resources and yet she will go out here and charge innocent citizens, private citizens that haven't violated the law. It just defies common sense why any elected official would do such a thing."
Gardner has defended her actions, saying that despite the McCloskeys being on their own property, "It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner -- that is unlawful in the city of St. Louis."
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Parson also said the police should be better funded, not "defunded."
"We need to be backing up our men and women out there sacrificing their lives every day. We need to put more officers on the ground to attack violent criminals. We can see these 'quote' peaceful protesters they claim to be, but we know there's violence behind them."