Detention hearing scheduled Tuesday for teens arrested in Quakertown ICE protest
Officials have not publicly released information about what charges the teenagers face.
A detention hearing for the five teenagers arrested during a protest in Quakertown last week is scheduled for Tuesday morning, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
The teenagers have been held since Friday, when they were taken into custody after a scuffle with Quakertown police officers — including the department’s chief, Scott McElree.
Officials have released few details about the arrests. The police department and the district attorney’s office have declined to disclose the teenagers’ names, ages or the charges they face.
Manual Gamiz, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said Monday that the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional information was available.
Police initially said an adult had also been arrested during the confrontation. But the district attorney’s office later said no adults had been charged in the melee.
By Monday night, the episode had spilled into borough politics. At a Quakertown council meeting, several residents called for the teenagers’ release and demanded the resignation of McElree, who also serves as the borough manager. After the public session, the council met privately with its attorney. As of Tuesday morning, it was unclear whether any action would be taken against the chief.
The teenagers who were taken into custody had been taking part in a protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement that began at Quakertown Community High School and moved off campus to Front Street. Witnesses have said that a confrontation erupted there, in front of Sunday’s Deli and Restaurant. McElree, they said, grabbed a teenage boy and placed a teenage girl in a chokehold, prompting other students to intervene and a larger scuffle to break out.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.