The couple who gained national attention after pulling guns on Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonsrators last summer never served their lawsuit against a photographer for alleged improper enrichment by the use of their image without permission.
Mark McCloskey, 63, and Patricia McCloskey, 61, filed the complaint last year in St. Louis Circuit Court against photographer Bill Greenblatt, UPI, and print-on-demand platform Redbubble Inc.
"My campaign attempted to purchase the photograph from Greenblatt to try to resolve the issue and we got no response,” Mr. McCloskey told the St. Louis Record.
As widely reported, the McCloskeys were the subject of national media coverage a year ago in the wake of the George Floyd controversy for brandishing firearms in front of their Central West End home while Black Lives Matter demonstrators marched along towards former Mayor Lyda Krewson’s nearby home.
“There's been a stalemate,” McCloskey said. “Greenblatt hasn't made any aggressive position towards us nor have we towards him. I have not yet served that lawsuit on him and he has taken no further action about a cease and desist on the photograph so we’re in a happy medium.”
McCloskey pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor, and surrendered the firearms used in photo but he and his wife acquired a new AR-15 after entering the guilty plea, according to media reports.
“They have a lawful right to own firearms and they have every right under the constitution to exercise their choice to turn their guns in on that plea deal and go buy other ones,” said Kevin Merritt, executive director of the Missouri Sheriffs’ Association. “They're not prohibited under federal law or state law from possession of firearms. There's nothing that keeps them from doing that.”
McCloskey has since announced that he intends to run for the seat of Senator Roy Blunt in the 2022 election, which would pit him against other Republican contenders, former Gov. Eric Greitens, Attorney General Eric Schmitt, and Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler.
“I've been a lifelong Republican and a staunch anti-Communist but I've never considered running for public office until the events that happened in my life a year ago,” he said. “My wife and I decided to put the rest of our lives on hold and just do what we could for the rest of our lives to save this country, pull back our God-given liberties and stop the seemingly unstoppable march to the left that this country is undergoing.”
McCloskey adds the fact that he has never worked in government is an asset.
“I'm the only candidate who has never been a politician before,” he said. “Out of that group of candidates, you've got two long-term career politicians and an ex-governor who, before he ever became governor, bought a website saying Greitens for President. So, he may have some ambitions but I'm not sure.”