A man who attempted to intimidate Black Lives Matter protesters with a rifle is now running for Senate.

Per CBS, 63-year-old St. Louis personal injury lawyer Mark McCloskey announced his campaign to run for senator in Missouri in a statement made on Tucker Carlson's show on Fox News on Tuesday.

McCloskey told Carlson: "God came knocking on my door last summer disguised as an angry mob. And it really did wake me up."

Taking to Twitter to confirm the news, McCloskey wrote to his 21,000 followers: "An angry mob marched to destroy my home and kill my family, I took a stand to defend them.

"I am a proven fighter against the mob. When the mob comes to destroy our home, our state, our nation— I’ll defend it. I will NEVER BACK DOWN. Help me FIGHT BACK".

The Senate hopeful then attached a link to his website.

McCloskey and his wife, 61-year-old Patricia, were infamously filmed threatening activists marching past their property on their way to the home of St Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson.

The activists were marching to protest police brutality in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of ex-cop Derek Chauvin.

The couple brandished a semiautomatic handgun and automatic AR-15 assault rifle at the demonstrators, demanding that they stay off their property.

Per Fox News, the McCloskeys later contended that the protesters had vandalized their yard, ignored a "No Trespassing" sign, and screamed threats at them.

Speaking to KMOV after the incident, the gun-wielding McCloskey said that he and Patricia "feared for their lives", stating:

"A mob of at least 100 smashed through the historic wrought iron gates of Portland Place, destroying them, rushed towards my home where my family was having dinner outside and put us in fear of our lives.

"This is all private property. There are no public sidewalks or public streets. I was terrified that we'd be murdered within seconds, our house would be burned down, our pets would be killed. We were all alone facing an angry mob."

St. Louis Circuit chief prosecutor Kim Gardner later charged the couple with unlawful use of a weapon as a result, while a grand jury in October indicted them on the same charges.

McCloskey broke the news of his indictment in a tweet made to his Twitter account, writing to his 7,200 followers: "So we got indicted today on two charges, displaying and tampering.

"We have no info on the tampering, no idea with what we are supposed to have tampered. Upside down world! [sic]"

Featured Image Credit: Pexels

Last month, Mark and Patricia McCloskey went viral on social media after they were filmed brandishing guns at passing Black Lives Matter protesters outside their home in St. Louis, Missouri.

The stunning footage shows the two personal injury lawyers waving a rifle and handgun at protesters as they made their way through their gated community to challenge Mayor Lyda Krewson.

Watch the stunning scene unfold below:

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Speaking to KMOV after the incident, the gun-weilding Mr McCloskey said that he and his wife "feared for their lives". He told the outlet:

"A mob of at least 100 smashed through the historic wrought iron gates of Portland Place, destroying them, rushed towards my home where my family was having dinner outside and put us in fear of our lives.

"This is all private property. There are no public sidewalks or public streets. I was terrified that we'd be murdered within seconds, our house would be burned down, our pets would be killed. We were all alone facing an angry mob."

Despite the footage showing the protesters passing by their home peacefully, Mark McCloskey said it was "about as bad as it can get."

He added: "I mean, those you know, I really thought it was Storming the Bastille and that we would be dead and the house would be burned and there was nothing we could do about it."

Now, in an interview with Fox News' Watters' World, Mark McCloskey has gushed over his wife's actions outside their home.

"I was always surprised to see her out there facing off [the] welfare crowd.

"I grabbed my rifle and I was standing up on the porch - and all of a sudden I see her in the front yard with our pistol in her hand. What a woman."

Mr McCloskey has also criticized the local media for their coverage of the incident, stating that they have been "slandered and maligned".

He added: "There is no limit to what they'll do to try to make me look bad. So that is how I am being treated in the press for defending my home."

Following the disturbing scene, authorities in St. Louis executed a search warrant on July 10 at the McCloskey's home, where police seized the rifle that Mark was seen brandishing during the June 28 incident.

Kimberly Gardner, circuit attorney in St. Louis, had said that her office and the St. Louis Police Department are conducting an investigation into the McCloskeys' firearms display.

However, Mr McCloskey revealed on Watter's World that he cannot see any "criminal aspect" to his and his wife's actions, saying: "I don't know the details of the criminal aspect of this, although I think there is no criminal aspect of this."

A man has defended him and his wife's decision to point guns at Black Lives Matter protesters outside their mansion home on Sunday.

Personal injury lawyers Mark and Patricia McCloskey are now being slammed online for their reaction to protesters passing their Forest Park home in St. Louis as they made their way to challenge Mayor Lyda Krewson.

Mark armed himself with a rifle and Patricia wielded a handgun.

A tweet of the incident was captioned: "White people in St. Louis who are so threatened by people marching in support of #BlackLivesMatter that they come out of their house and point guns at protesters are a perfect metaphor for why these protests are necessary. Also they should be arrested."

Watch the shocking footage below: 

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When footage and pictures of the incident went viral, the husband said that the couple felt like they had no option but to arm themselves because they were fearing for their lives.

The Tennessee Star reports that he said: "We were threatened with our lives, threatened with a house being burned down, my office building being burned down, even our dog's life being threatened."

This footage of the man in a salmon pink shirt was captioned: "BLM protestors barraged a neighborhood. Man comes outside with his AR-15 to defend his family. Incredible."

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Despite the footage clearly depicting a peaceful protest, McCloskey said it was "about as bad as it can get."

He said: "I mean, those you know, I really thought it was Storming the Bastille and that we would be dead and the house would be burned and there was nothing we could do about it."

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The couple said their home is on a private street and that the protesters had to beak through a gate to gain access to the property.

McCloskey said there are "no public sidewalks or public streets", implying that the protesters were trespassing despite them not stepping onto the rounds of his property.

He said protests are not protests "when the first thing they do is destroy private property" and "they storm in angry and shouting and threatening", and instead said the event was "a revolution" and "an attempt to inflict terror."

He said he said his family were "terrified that [they'd] be murdered within seconds", not considering the fact that he was putting the same level of fear into the protestors' minds when he appeared with his weapon.

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The couple's attorney Albert Watkins told the Associated Press that despite what the footage and images of the incident suggest, the couple are civil rights advocates and supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement.

He said the couple only resorted to threatening people with their guns when their private property was threatened.

Watkins said: "The most important thing for them is that their images (holding the guns) don't become the basis for a rallying cry for people who oppose the Black Lives Matter message.

"They want to make it really clear that they believe the Black Lives Matter message is important."

A couple who went viral on social media after aiming their guns at Black Lives Matter protesters marching outside their property have regained possession of their firearms.

In June 2020, Mark and Patricia McCloskey made national headlines when they were filmed pointing firearms at a group of Black Lives Matter protesters marching past their St. Louis home.

At the time, Mark - a lawyer - claimed that the crowd had broken through an iron gate, "destroying them, rushed towards my home where my family was having dinner outside and put us in fear for our lives," per BBC News.

He said they ignored a “No Trespassing” sign on their private street en route to the former mayor’s residence.

However, one protester disputed that account, telling the outlet the gate was already unlocked when marchers arrived. "People just walked up to it and opened the gate," he said, estimating he was the sixth person through. "It looked normal to me when I passed through."

Still, most legal analysts ultimately agreed that the crowd was trespassing once they entered the private Portland Place neighborhood.

The McCloskeys said they felt threatened and stood outside with guns to protect their property. No one was injured in the incident.

Now, more than five years later, the couple has regained possession of one of those weapons, an AR-15 rifle, after a long and complicated legal battle.

“It only took 3 lawsuits, 2 trips to the Court of Appeals and 1,847 days, but I got my AR15 back!” Mark posted on Friday (August 1) on X, along with several photos of himself holding the firearm.

“We defended our home, were persecuted by the left, smeared by the press, and threatened with death, but we never backed down,” he added.

The McCloskeys were initially charged with unlawful use of a weapon by then-St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt later attempted to dismiss the charges, The New York Post reported.

In 2021, the couple pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and second-degree harassment but were subsequently pardoned by former Missouri Governor Mike Parson.

In a video shared to X, the lawyer is seen retrieving the rifle from a police station. He told Fox News Digital: “That gun may have only been worth $1,500 or something, and it cost me a lot of time and a lot of effort to get it back, but you have to do that. You have to let them know that you will never back down, you’ll never give up.”

The AR-15 had been held by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, while the pistol used by Patricia was held by the St. Louis Sheriff’s Department. Mark has said he expects the pistol to be returned in the coming days.

“Each and every one of us owns a personal responsibility for our freedom and our democratic republic,” he added. “If you’ve been wronged, if you’ve been overreached by the leftist government - you can’t give up. You can’t let them get an inch.”

Featured image credit: Handout / Getty

A married couple who hail from St Louis have been indicted this week, after they brandished guns and threatened protestors outside their home.

Personal injury lawyers Mark and Patricia McClosky, aged 63 and 61 respectively, threatened Black Lives Matter protestors who were demonstrating against the police killing of George Floyd on June 28, and marched past their property on their way to the home of St Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson.

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Soon after the incident, footage emerged on social media of the couple waving a semiautomatic handgun and an automatic AR-15 assault rifle at the demonstrators, demanding that they stay off their property.

Per a recent report by Fox News, Mark and Patricia McClosky contend that the protesters broke a gate belonging to them, ignored a "No Trespassing" sign, and screamed threats at them.

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Kimberly Gardner, the chief prosecutor for the city of St Louis, filed felony charges against them in July. The case has now been brought before a grand jury, which has indicted the couple on two charges: unlawful use of a weapon, and tampering with evidence.

Per BBC News, Gardner said in an official statement that:

"It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in non-violent protest, and while we are fortunate this situation did not escalate into deadly force, this type of conduct is unacceptable in St Louis.

"We must protect the right to peacefully protest, and any attempt to chill it through intimidation will not be tolerated."

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Gardner also recommended that the husband and wife participate in a "diversion program" designed to reduce unnecessary involvement in court, and take part in community service.

Mark McClosky broke the news personally on his Twitter account, writing to his approximate 7,200 followers:

"So we got indicted today on two charges, displaying and tampering. We have no info on the tampering, no idea with what we are supposed to have tampered. Upside down world! [sic]"

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McClosky also made a statement to reporters outside the courthouse on Tuesday, October 6, telling reporters:

"Every single human being that was in front of my house was a criminal trespasser. They broke down our gate. They trespassed on our property. Not a single one of those people is now charged with anything. We’re charged with felonies that could cost us four years of our lives and our law licenses."

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However, the couple has been supported by President Donald Trump, who told conservative news website Townhall: "They were going to be beat up badly if they were lucky. If they were lucky. They were going be beat up badly and the house was going to be totally ransacked and probably burned down like they tried to burn down churches."

"And these people were standing there, never used it and they were legal, the weapons, and now I understand somebody local, they want to prosecute these people. It's a disgrace."

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Per Fox News, their next court was originally set for October 14, but it is probable that this will change due to the grand jury indictment.

The couple who were filmed outside their home wielding firearms at Black Lives Matter protestors have pulled out guns before, court records have shown.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who have now been dubbed Ken and Karen by the internet, pulled a long-barrelled gun and a small handgun outside their house at the peaceful protestors, claiming that they were defending their home.

At the time of the incident, the protestors were on their way to Mayor Lyda Krewson, when they encountered the couple outside their mansion in St. Louis on Sunday, June 29.

Watch the scene below: 

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Snopes has reported that the McCloskeys, who are both personal injury lawyers in their sixties, have threatened to protect their home with weapons before, an affidavit of an ongoing case has revealed.

Legal documents have revealed that there has been a three year legal battle between the couple and Portland Place over a small section of the property.

The McCloskeys claim that they own the land while the trustees say it belongs to the neighborhood.

A judge ruled on Monday, June 29, against motions to put an end to the case without a trial, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

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According to the affidavit, the couple purchased their mansion in 1988 and have made several attempts to prove that they own the land on which it is built.

It allegedly says they "regularly prohibited all persons, including Portland Place residents, from crossing the Parcel including at least at one point, challenging a resident at gunpoint who refused to heed the McCloskeys' warnings to stay off such property."

The couple's attorney Albert Watkins said they have "touched their weapons" twice in the 32 years that they have lived at the property, per the New York Post.

Referring to the previous incident, he said that McCloskey "looked down, had a gun and screamed for the person to stay off her property."

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It was claimed on Monday that the McCloskeys were waving their guns at 300 protestors as they passed their home as members of the crowd shouted: "We're not even here for you!"

While attempting to protect their home, the pair accidentally pointed their weapons at each other, it has been claimed.