(CNN) The Missouri couple seen in a viral video brandishing guns at protesters outside their mansion have been charged, the St. Louis circuit attorney said Monday. Patricia and Mark McCloskey are charged with unlawful use of a weapon, a class E felony, according to the complaint. "It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in nonviolent protest, and while we are fortunate this situation did not escalate into deadly force, this type of conduct is unacceptable in St. Louis," Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner said in a statement. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt swiftly filed a brief in the case to have it dismissed, according to a statement from his office, and Gov. In videos obtained by CNN, the pair were seen brandishing weapons outside their St. Louis home as demonstrators walked outside the mansion in late June.

Source: CNN July 20, 2020 22:18 UTC