EYEBROW-RAISING footage emerged on Monday showing a couple brandishing and pointing guns at a number of protesters in St. Louis, Missouri.
Husband and wife Mark and Patricia McCloskey could be seen aiming the guns at demonstrators who walked by their palatial property while on a march to demand the resignation of local mayor Lyda Krewson on Sunday.
Mark was seen with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle while his wife Patricia was holding a handgun.
In the footage they appear to urge the protesters to 'move on', as hundreds stream past their property, singing and chanting.
At one point, the pair seemed to be unknowingly pointing their weapons at one another other while trying to keep protesters away.
The couple patrolled back and forth, making sure that nobody got too close.
It's understood that the couple's attorney says that they didn't bring their guns out until they noticed that a number of protesters had weapons of their own, and felt the need to protect themselves.
"At the time, their fear was, these people, two in particular, that were marching along with the Black Lives Matter protest participants - all peaceful. They were acting in a fashion inconsistent with the message being given," Watkins said.
"My clients were not arming themselves against peaceful protesters, they were arming themselves about people with a really bad motive, a motive that runs afoul of the fundamental tenets of our country.
"My clients, though, had to deal with comments that were from two individuals that were perpetrating these acts of violence and, not charging, but coming toward them and doing so in a fashion that was threatening, menacing, and in a fashion inconsistent with the Black Lives Matter message."
Protesters are demanding Mayor Krewson's resignation after she reportedly released names and addresses of residents who suggested defunding the police department, as part of the Black Lives Matter campaign.
A couple has come out of their house and is pointing guns at protesters in their neighborhood #StLouis #lydakrewson pic.twitter.com/ZJ8a553PAU
— Daniel Shular (@xshularx) June 29, 2020