Community asked to submit video and photos as investigation begins
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office has opened an independent investigation into the police response during Friday’s anti-ICE walkout in Quakertown that led to altercations between students and officers and multiple reported arrests.
In a statement released Saturday morning, the DA’s Office said it is “aware of the events that transpired in Quakertown on Friday" and confirmed that it is “conducting an independent investigation into the police response during this incident.”
“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,” the statement read.
The announcement follows a chaotic series of events that unfolded after about 35 students from Quakertown Community High School left campus without permission around 11:30 a.m. Friday, despite the district canceling the planned walkout earlier that morning due to safety concerns.
According to the Quakertown Community School District, students proceeded to Front Street, where law enforcement later reported “unsafe and disruptive behavior in town.” The high school and Quakertown Elementary School were placed in external lockdown until about 1:15 p.m., when normal operations resumed.
Videos circulated widely on social media Friday afternoon appeared to show a physical confrontation between students and an older man in plain clothes believed to be Quakertown Police Chief Scott McElree, who was later seen receiving medical attention near a police vehicle. Additional footage showed at least one student being detained.
In footage, he appears to grab and shove at least one student and is seen in a physical struggle with others. One student is shown striking him with a cellphone, according to PhillyBurbs. Images later show the chief bloodied during the altercation.
Police and school officials have declined to confirm whether officers or students were injured, and officials have not publicly confirmed the number of arrests. Central Bucks News reported that five arrests were made following the downtown confrontation.
The DA’s Office did not elaborate on the scope or timeline of the investigation but emphasized the need for community-submitted evidence.
Anyone with information, photos or video footage related to Friday’s incident is asked to contact Bucks County Detectives at 215-348-6354.
A student who filmed much of the encounter alleged, according to PhillyBurbs, that officers escalated the situation without provocation and said the plainclothes chief did not identify himself before engaging physically. In the chaos, the student said, some protesters did not realize who he was and reacted defensively.
Other video clips show a uniformed officer taking a student to the ground near a sidewalk planter. At one point, an officer can be heard telling a teen that the man involved in the scuffle was the police chief.
It remains unclear from public footage whether multiple plainclothes individuals were involved, though one student said McElree was the only person he saw wearing tan during the clash.
McElree has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
In a statement Friday night, Quakertown police said officers repeatedly warned protesters to stay out of traffic and to stop damaging vehicles.
“Additional officers were called to the scene when confrontations escalated, and some individuals assaulted officers,” the department said.
Parents and advocates demand release
At a Saturday morning press conference, civil rights advocates and parents call for the immediate release of arrested teens and the dismissal of charges.
Outside the Quakertown police station, parents and representatives of Upper Bucks United and Make the Road PA called for the immediate release of the arrested teens, saying some were held overnight at the Bucks County Youth Center.
“Our daughter was wrongfully accused. She was deliberately sought after and she was assaulted. She was thrown into the ground and she was choked. We want her home safe,” said Allison, the stepmother of one arrested teen, at the conference.
Barbara Marrero, another parent, said she had not been able to speak with her daughter since the arrest and expressed fear for her safety.
Advocates also demanded the public release of body camera footage and incident reports, and questioned why students remained in custody.
School response under scrutiny
Speakers criticized the school district’s handling of the canceled walkout and its aftermath, per PhillyBurbs. While several Bucks County schools moved similar protests indoors, Quakertown was the only district to cancel outright, according to advocates.
One parent said she was told by school officials that events occurring off school grounds were not the district’s responsibility, though the district later indicated it would review student conduct related to the downtown protest.
Organizers have called for crisis counselors to be available at the high school when students return, especially as police presence is expected on campus.
The investigation now moves forward with public footage, eyewitness accounts and police reports likely to shape what comes next.
