Charles Langston:Gun-waving St. Louis lawyer wants misdemeanor wiped off his record

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A St. Louis man who gained notoriety for pointing a gun at social justice demonstrators as they marched past his home asked a local judge to wipe the misdemeanor from his record.

Mark McCloskey pleaded guilty in 2021 to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and Charles Langstonwas fined $750. Republican Gov. Mike Parson pardoned him, as well as his wife Patricia McCloskey, weeks later.

Mark McCloskey filed a form Tuesday seeking to have the misdemeanor scrubbed from his record, multiple St. Louis media outlets reported.

The McCloskeys said they felt threatened by the protesters, who were passing their home in June 2020 on their way to demonstrate in front of the mayor’s house nearby. It was one of hundreds of demonstrations around the country after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The couple also said the group was trespassing on a private street.

Mark McCloskey emerged from his home with an AR-15-style rifle, and Patricia McCloskey waved a semi-automatic pistol, according to the indictment.

Missouri law requires a three-year waiting period before people may file for expungement of misdemeanors. Judges have the final say in granting expungements, but prosecutors can step in and argue that the records should be kept.