QUAKERTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Quakertown residents are frustrated with an investigation that found the police chief used appropriate force during an anti-ICE student-led protest in February. The chief is accused of putting a teenage protester in a chokehold.
Last week, a panel of Bucks County police chiefs published a report saying Quakertown Police Chief Scott McElree used appropriate force in responding to high school protesters on Feb. 20.
McElree is seen in a video, in plain clothes, allegedly putting a teenage girl in a chokehold and bringing her to the ground.
The report by the Police Chiefs Association of Bucks County said the protest quickly turned unruly, unlawful, and placed lives at risk.
The report claimed McElree sufficiently tried to de-escalate, and it called the police department’s efforts professional, coordinated and responsive. While they justified McElree’s use of force, the association recommended that he should clearly identify himself, and officers should wear body cameras.
McElree was placed on paid leave. The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office is still investigating.
Demonstrators protest before the Quakertown Borough Council meeting on April 27, 2026.Vik Raghupathi/KYW Newsradio
Parents and residents aired their grievances over the police chiefs’ report at Monday night’s Quakertown Borough Council meeting. Laura Foster from Upper Bucks United believes the report essentially rubberstamped McElree’s account of the incident.
“It’s the equivalent of having your mom be your reference for a job interview; it makes no sense,” she said.
Alexa McDonald said what residents have already seen disqualifies McElree from retaining his post.
“People that are violent toward children do not deserve positions of power,” she argued.
Sarah Collins said the report sanitizes police conduct rather than examining it.
“Our community deserves a truly independent review with full public transparency, civilian oversight and accountability grounded in facts, not institutional bias,” she said.
Five students spent time in jail after being arrested, though felony charges against some of them have been dropped.
