Bucks County DA investigating after Quakertown police arrested high school students protesting ICE
A Quakertown High School students' ICE protest escalated into a confrontation with adults that left at least one teenager bloodied and in handcuffs.
The Bucks County district attorney is investigating the Quakertown Borough Police Department’s response to a high school student protest against federal immigration enforcement.
On Friday, a Quakertown High School student walkout protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) escalated into a confrontation with adults that left at least one teenager bloodied and in handcuffs.
“Our office is conducting an independent investigation into the police response during this incident,” said Bucks County District Attorney spokesperson Manuel Gamiz Jr. “To ensure a thorough and transparent review, we are seeking the community’s assistance and encourage anyone with information, including video footage or photos, to contact the Bucks County Detectives at 215-348-6354.”
Bystander video footage showed police, adults, and what appear to be teenagers, at times fighting, on a sidewalk along Front Street. In a widely shared video, teens were seen scuffling with a man who put a girl in a chokehold. Several news organizations have reported that the man, who is not wearing a police uniform, is Quakertown Police Chief Scott McElree. Quakertown police and McElree didn’t respond to requests for comment Saturday morning.
Quakertown police said Friday that five or six minors and one adult were taken into custody. Police have not provided details on who was arrested, and said that the students had been acting violently.
Standing outside the Quakertown police station Saturday morning, parents and leaders from local civil rights groups called on police to provide answers.
Adrienne King, president of the Bucks County NAACP, said that when young people are involved in a police encounter, “the standard for care, restraint and adherence to policy are high and must be adhered to.”
“Video circulating publicly has raised serious questions in our community,” King said. “Those questions deserve answers, and we are here to ask for those answers today. Transparency is not optional in situations like this.”
Family members of one of the girls in police custody provided a written statement Saturday.
“We are looking for answers and accountability from the Quakertown police department and school district as well as justice for our daughter and the other children. We offer solidarity with the other families affected and hope to have our children home immediately.”