Missouri governor to pardon couple who pulled guns on Black Lives Matter protesters if they are charged
'I don't think they're going to spend any time in jail'
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Your support makes all the difference.Missouri Governor Mike Parson will consider pardoning a couple who sparked outrage after brandishing guns at racial justice protesters marching past their home should they be charged with a criminal offence.
The Republican said a pardon is "exactly what would happen" if St Louis couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey face charges for using firearms to defend against what they say were death threats that left them fearing for their lives.
"A mob does not have the right to charge your property. They had every right to protect themselves," Mr Parson told The Marc Cox Morning Show on 97.1 FM in St Louis on Friday.
"You don't know until you hear all the facts. But right now, if this is all about going after them for doing a lawful act, then yeah, if that scenario ever happened, I don't think they're going to spend any time in jail," he continued.
Following the interview, Mr Parson doubled down on his support for the couple in a series of tweets saying they "had every right to defend their home".
"We will not allow law-abiding citizens to be targeted for exercising their constitutional rights," Mr Parson wrote.
After the husband and wife went viral in a 28 June video that showed them pointing firearms toward supporters of Black Lives Matter, state prosecutor Kim Gardner launched an investigation into the incident.
"Make no mistake: We will not tolerate the use of force against those exercising their First Amendment rights, and will use the full power of Missouri law to hold people accountable," Ms Gardner said in a tweet.
After the incident, Mr McCloskey told local KMOV-TV that he and his wife feared for their lives after protesters smashed through the private gates of Portland Place.
"It was like the storming of the Bastille, the gate came down and a large crowd of angry, aggressive people poured through," Mr McCloskey said. "I was terrified that we'd be murdered within seconds. Our house would be burned down, our pets would be killed."
Mr Parson indicated his willingness to support the couple last week, saying during a press conference that Donald Trump would also be taking action to "do everything he could within his powers to help with this situation".
He said the McCloskeys' actions were protected under Missouri's "castle doctrine", which allows the use of force against intruders without the requirement to retreat.
"That couple had every right to protect their property. They have the ability to do that as private citizens like everyone else," Mr Parson said.
"But what they should not go through is a prosecutor attempting to take their constitutional rights away by filing charges against them for protecting their property."
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