Mark and Patricia McCloskey Support Kyle Rittenhouse In Court, 'Hope That The Jury Acquits'
Nov. 16 2021, Published 12:32 p.m. ET
Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the couple who made national headlines last year after aiming their guns at Black Lives Matter protestors passing by their St. Louis home during a protest, showed up outside the Kenosha courthouse to show solidarity with Kyle Rittenhouse.
Yesterday, as the defense and prosecution were making their closing arguments to the court in the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial, the McCloskey couple reportedly arrived outside the courthouse and spoke to the Daily Mail to express their concerns and support of Rittenhouse.
“We are just here to show our support for Kyle Rittenhouse,” Mr. McCloskey told the outlet.
“For the concept of self-defense. For our God-given rights under the Second Amendment to defend ourselves when necessary. And to hope that the jury acquits on all counts,” he continued.
Much like Rittenhouse, many people view Mr. and Mrs. McCloskey as champions of self-defense and the right to own and bare arms after they were seen pointing guns at protesters on June 28, 2020 – only two months before the night Rittenhouse shot two people to death and injured a third.
But to others, the McCloskeys, like Rittenhouse, are not champions of anything but rather an example of everything that is wrong and dangerous with guns and the laws in this country that protect guns.
In the months following the couple brandishing their guns at passing protestors, the McCloskeys had their guns seized by authorities and were even both charged with a felony for the unlawful use of a weapon.
This past June, Mark plead guilty to fourth-degree assault and his wife Patricia plead guilty to harassment, although they were quickly pardoned a month later by Missouri Governor Mike Parson.
“When the government advocates it's wrong for protecting honest citizens from criminals, when the government orders the police to stand down from protecting honest citizens, then honest citizens have to defend themselves,” Mr. McCloskey said on Monday. “That's what Kyle did; that's what we did.”
“That's what any God-fearing American should do. If the government won't protect them, if the government protects criminals above law-abiding citizens, then law-abiding citizens need to protect themselves against criminals.”
The McCloskeys' appearance outside the courthouse coincided with the closing arguments being made to the jury inside the courtroom, and although the couple compared their experience to Rittenhouse’s experience, they still emphasized the fact that the verdict whether Rittenhouse is guilty or not-guilty of murder is not up to anyone but the jury.
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“That's why we have juries,” Mr. McCloskey said. “We should all respect the jury's verdict.”
Although the jury began their deliberations earlier today, it is not known when exactly they will reach a final verdict in the case.
