Report reveals police chief won't be disciplined after ‘Quakertown 5' fallout
The Quakertown Borough is breaking its silence about the February incident in which the police chief and other officers got into a scuffle with students during an ICE protest.
On Friday, May 8, the borough published a four page statement about the Feb. 20 incident along with several images that they say supports their findings.
The borough explained that they released this report two months after the incident before the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office is investigating and is taking more time than expected.
In the report, the borough breaks down what happened leading up to the protest and that day.
When discussing one event, the borough says Quaketown Police Chief Scott McElree was in plain clothes and caught on video while trying to arrest a protest who officials said was causing trouble.
This is when Chief McElree was attacked by protesters in multiple waves over the course of several minutes, the report said.
The borough went on to say that the protesters’ response was “completely unjustified.”
Another question addressed in the report was an image of McElree with his arm around a protester’s upper body.
In the report, the borough claims that this was not a chokehold.
According to borough officials, the Quakertown Police Department does not use chokeholds as a law enforcement technique.
The borough ends its report by stating that it is not taking any disciplinary action against Chief McElree or any of the officers involved in the ICE protest incident.
This report comes just weeks after the Quakertown Solicitor released a report on the incident that included recommendations for the police department.
“There are literally hours of videos showing the events of February 20th, and many of these videos, especially those of the Chief being attacked, are very chaotic and hard to follow. The still images better convey the gravity of the situation and the level of violence directed at Chief McElree, while still illustrating the facts set forth in the Statement,” the Quakertown Solicitor wrote in a statement following the release of the borough’s report.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office is still investigating the Quakertown Police Department’s role in the incident.
To read the borough’s full statement, click here.
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