Attorney: Armed protesters broke iron gate, threatened St. Louis couple before they drew their guns

ST. LOUIS -- A Missouri couple under fire for brandishing guns in the front yard of their home as protesters passed told police the group broke a gate to get onto the private street, and the pair say they only retrieved their firearms when they spotted “multiple” people who were already armed, department records show.

Al Watkins, an attorney for Mark McCloskey, 63, and his 61-year-old wife, Patricia, said the protest was largely peaceful and the pair did not bring their guns outside of the home until two men in particular, both of whom were white, started menacing them.