WATCH: Protesters rally at Quakertown Borough Council meeting demanding resignation of police chief
A rally outside Monday night’s borough council meeting in Quakertown has drawn community members demanding accountability and the resignation of Quakertown Borough Police Chief Scott McElree, who is also Borough Manager, after Friday’s controversial confrontation between police and student protesters.
About 30 to 40 people were gathered just before 7:30 p.m. Monday outside Quakertown Borough Hall, chanting and using a bullhorn as the borough council convened for a scheduled work session. Telford Borough resident John Waldenberger, who was streaming the meeting live on social media.
“Bring them home! Bring them home!” chanted the public. “Let the youth go!”
The demonstration stems from a violent interaction Friday between Quakertown police and students who walked out of Quakertown Community High School to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.
Video of the incident circulated widely online, showing officers — and in some clips what appears to be Quakertown Police Chief Scott McElree in plainclothes — placing a student in a chokehold during the confrontation.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania issued a statement Monday alleging that McElree “violated his commitment to ‘serve and protect’ his community” and that police “unnecessarily and aggressively escalated the tension” with demonstrators.
The ACLU’s statement says its attorneys are in contact with student participants and are calling for “a full and transparent investigation” and for police to be held accountable if excessive force or retaliation is confirmed.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office has already launched an independent investigation into the police response after Friday’s protest, which led to the arrest of five high school students and one adult. Authorities have urged anyone with information, video or photos of the incident to contact county detectives.
Calls for McElree’s resignation have grown in recent days. A Change.org petition demanding the chief step down had gathered more than 8,300 signatures by Monday evening.
Protesters outside borough hall said they want answers from local officials and for the council to address community concerns about the police response and use of force.
Tony Di Domizio is the managing editor of CentralBucksNow. Email him at [email protected].
