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Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who waved guns at Black Lives Matter protesters on their private street in June, pleaded not guilty to two felony charges on Wednesday.

 on charges of unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence. They had been 

 with the weapon violation; the grand jury added the evidence charge. The indictment 

that the pistol held by Patricia McCloskey was altered before it was handed over to investigators.

The charges are the result of a confrontation between protesters and the McCloskeys on June 28.

Protesters were marching down the private street en route to the home of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson. The McCloskeys were seen on video outside of their mansion brandishing firearms. Mark McCloskey carried an AR-15 rifle, while Patricia had her finger on the trigger of a semi-automatic handgun.

 trespassing summonses to nine protesters for entering private property, but the City Counselor's Office opted 

The McCloskeys, personal injury lawyers in their 60s with a 

of suing their neighbors, have blamed "leftist" Democrats in St. Louis government for the charges against them. Their attorney, Joel Schwartz, says President Trump has taken an interest in the McCloskeys' case.

"They have spoken with the president," Schwartz said after Wednesday's hearing, The Associated Press reports. "The president contacts them semi-frequently." 

Crime, Law and Justice

Social Issues

Conversations around race and racial justice

Laurel Wamsley

Author

A grand jury indicted Mark and Patricia McCloskey last week on weapon and evidence charges. The case stems from a confrontation between the McCloskeys and protesters for racial justice on June 28.

Gun-waving St. Louis couple plead not guilty to 2 felony charges

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