LF: St. Louis Prosecutor's Office Busted Altering Evidence; Reassembled Non-Operable McCloskey Pistol To Classify As Lethal

Title: St. Louis Prosecutor's Office Busted Altering Evidence; Reassembled Non-Operable McCloskey Pistol To Classify As Lethal
Source: KSDK
URL Source: https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/l ... c2d?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot
Published: Jul 22, 2020
Author: Christine Byers
Post Date: 2020-07-22 20:38:44 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 209

ST. LOUIS — The gun Patricia McCloskey waved at protesters was inoperable when it arrived at the St. Louis police crime lab, but a member of Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's staff ordered crime lab experts to disassemble and reassemble it and wrote that it was “readily capable of lethal use” in charging documents filed Monday, 5 On Your Side has learned.

Excerpt of document obtained by 5 On Your Side showing Assistant Circuit Attorney Chris Hinckley's orders to crime lab experts.

W3Schools.com

Crime lab workers photographed the disassembly and reassembly of the gun, according to the documents.

Patricia McCloskey and her husband, Mark McCloskey, have said the handgun Patricia McCloskey waved at protesters was inoperable because they had used it as a prop during a lawsuit they once filed against a gun manufacturer. In order to bring it into a courtroom, they made it inoperable.

Their attorney, Joel Schwartz, confirmed to 5 On Your Side that the McCloskeys intentionally misplaced the firing pin on the gun and that it was in that condition when Patricia McCloskey waved it at protesters and turned it into their former attorney Al Watkins.

“It’s disheartening to learn that a law enforcement agency altered evidence in order to prosecute an innocent member of the community,” Schwartz said.

A spokeswoman for Gardner wrote: "We can't comment on a pending case."

There is no reference to the operating condition of the gun in the probable cause statement police wrote on the case. The only reference to it is contained in the charging document with Hinckley’s name on it.

The McCloskeys have become somewhat of a household name ever since photos of them pointing guns at protesters went viral June 28. The protesters were marching past their house along a private, gated street on their way to Mayor Lyda Krewson’s house after Krewson read the names and addresses of those who wrote letters to her asking her to shutter the city’s jail, known as the Workhouse.

Mark McCloskey was holding a rifle. His wife was holding a silver handgun.

Most legal experts say Missouri law is not on Gardner’s side in this case because it allows people to defend their property with lethal force under what’s known as the Castle Doctrine.

Her decision to charge them has now garnered commentary from local and national Republicans including President Donald Trump, whose press secretary called it "abuse of power.”

Missouri Governor Mike Parson has said he will pardon the couple if they are convicted.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a legal briefing asking that the case be dismissed.

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