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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Maryclaire Dale

Lawyers say Pennsylvania student protesters did not know a man who joined scrum was the police chief

Teen Protesters Police Chief - (Copyright 2026 PJ Schaefer)

Lawyers for student protesters detained in Pennsylvania for four days after a scuffle with police say their clients had no idea the stocky older man in street clothes who joined the fray and put his arm around a 15-year-old girl’s neck was the local police chief.

The attorneys said the students from Quakertown Community High School who were demonstrating against immigration enforcement policies acted in self-defense and will fight the charges. They include a simple assault charge elevated to aggravated assault, a felony, because the alleged victim is Police Chief Scott McElree.

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