PHILADELPHIA (AP) — 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.

kAm“w6 492C865 7C@> 9:D G69:4=6 :?E@ E96 >:55=6 @7 E9:D 8C@FA @7 <:5D[” 5676?D6 =2HJ6C s@?2=5 $@F56CD D2:5 (65?6D52J] “|2?J @7 E96 <:5D ;F>A65 :?[ 😕 2? 2EE6>AE E@ 5676?5 96C] %96J 2DDF>65 E92E E9:D H2D 2 4@F?E6CAC@E6DE6C]”k^Am

kAm%96 fa\J62C\@=5 |4t=C66[ E96 2EE@C?6JD D2:5[ 2CC:G65 😕 2? F?>2C<65 42C[ 925 ?@ 32586 @C 92E @C F?:7@C> @?[ 2?5 ?6G6C :56?E:7:65 9:>D6=7] ‘:56@D A@DE65 E@ D@4:2= >65:2 D9@H65 E96 EFDD=6 36EH66? DEF56?ED 2?5 @77:46CD]k^Am

kAm|4t=C66[ H9@ 2=D@ D6CG6D 2D E96 !9:=256=A9:2 DF3FC3VD 3@C@F89 >2?286C[ 5:5 ?@E C6EFC? >6DD286D =67E %F6D52J 2?5 (65?6D52J 2E 9:D 9@>6 2?5 @77:46]k^Am

kAm“|J 4=:6?E H2D 5:C64E=J 49@<65 3J E96 49:67] xE H2D 2==6865 E92E D96 925 DECF4< 9:>[ H9:49 D96 5:5 ?@E[” D2:5 =2HJ6C %:>@E9J !C6?56C82DE[ H9@ C6AC6D6?ED E96 A6E:E6 `d\J62C\@=5 8:C=] “%96J 2C6 :??@46?E] %96J H6C6 6I6C4:D:?8 E96:C u:CDE p>6?5>6?E C:89ED] %96 49:67 5:5 ?@E =:<6 E92E 2?5 24E65 @FED:56 @7 9:D 2FE9@C:EJ]Qk^Am

kAm!C6?56C82DEVD 4=:6?E 2?5 2E =62DE EH@ @E96CD H6C6 C6=62D65 %F6D52J[ D@>6 @? 9@>6 4@?7:?6>6?E H:E9 2?<=6 >@?:E@CD] xE H2D ?@E :>>65:2E6=J 4=62C :7 E96 @E96C EH@ C6>2:?65 😕 4FDE@5J (65?6D52J] %96 =2HJ6CD 5:5 ?@E :56?E:7J E96:C 4=:6?ED[ 2?5 ;FG6?:=6 4@FCE C64@C5D 2C6 ?@E AF3=:4]k^Am

kAm$@>6 C6D:56?ED 92G6 42==65 7@C |4t=C66 E@ C6D:8?] qF42:? :>A2CE:2= 😕 3@E9 C@=6D]k^Am

kAmp3@FE bd DEF56?ED 925 DE2865 2 H2=<@FE uC:52J E@ AC@E6DE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:46\AC@E6DED\D9@@E:?8D\>:??62A@=:D\A@CE=2?5\2dhaa62c3c`c272cgd7bac4_257`5abaQm&]$] x>>:8C2E:@? 2?5 rFDE@>D t?7@C46>6?Ek^2m A@=:4:6D H96? A@=:46 2AAC@24965 E96> @FED:56 2 32<6CJ[ 23@FE 2 92=7\>:=6 7C@> D49@@=]k^Am

kAm$@F56CD C6AC6D6?ED 2 `e\J62C\@=5 3@J H9@[ 96 D2:5[ 925 9:D 6J68=2DD6D 3C@<6? 2D 96 H2D @4<65 :?E@ 2 =2C86 A=2?E6C 3J 2 F?:7@C>65 @77:46C 5FC:?8 E96 D4CF>] %96 3@J DA6?E E96 H66<6?5 😕 4FDE@5J ECJ:?8 E@ 86E 8=2DD A2CE:4=6D @FE @7 9:D 6J6[ 2?5 H2D D66? E96C6 3J 2 ?FCD6 367@C6 9:D 72E96C E@@< 9:> E@ 2 9@DA:E2= %F6D52J 27E6C 9:D C6=62D6[ $@F56CD D2:5]k^Am

kAmw:89 D49@@= 25>:?:DEC2E@CD 925 >6E H:E9 E96 DEF56?E AC@E6DE6CD 23@FE E96 A=2??65 H2=<@FE[ 3FE E96? H:E95C6H A6C>:DD:@? @? uC:52J >@C?:?8 @FE @7 D276EJ 4@?46C?D[ E96 24E:?8 DFA6C:?E6?56?E D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am

kAm|2?J 😕 E96 8C@FA 2C6 DEF56?ED @7 4@=@C[ 2?5 D@>6 2C6 E96 49:=5C6? @7 :>>:8C2?ED[ E96:C =2HJ6CD D2:5] q@E9 “F2<6CE@H?[ H:E9 23@FE h[b__ C6D:56?ED[ 2?5 E96 9:89 D49@@=[ H:E9 23@FE `[ed_ DEF56?ED[ 2C6 AC65@>:?2?E=J H9:E6]k^Am

kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ 5676?D6 =2HJ6CD[ E96 DEF56?ED H6C6 E2F?E65 2=@?8 E96 C@FE6 3J 2?@E96C 8C@FA @7 DEF56?ED J6==:?8 :?DF=ED[ :?4=F5:?8 C24:2= 6A:E96ED[ 2E E96>]k^Am

kAm“%9C@F89@FE E96 AC@E6DE[ E96 A@=:46 H6C6 7@==@H:?8 7C@> 2 5:DE2?46[” $@F56CD D2:5] “!C@323=J 😕 9:?5D:89E[ E96J D9@F=5 92G6 :?E6C46565 36EH66? E96 AC@E6DE6CD 2?5 4@F?E6CAC@E6DE6CD] %96J H6C6 D2J:?8 C62==J 2H7F= E9:?8D E@ 86E E96 <:5D C:=65 FA]”k^Am

kAmw:D 4=:6?E[ 2 9:89 D49@@= ;F?:@C H9@ H@C6 4@?7:?6>6?E H:E9 2? 2?<=6 >@?:E@C[ 96 D2:5] w6 42? =62G6 9@>6 7@C D49@@=[ H@C<[ 49FC49 2?5 @E96C 2AAC@G65 24E:G:E:6D]k^Am

kAmpD ;FG6?:=6D[ E96 E66?D 92G6 2 C:89E E@ 2? 25;F5:42E:@? 962C:?8 H:E9:? b_ 52JD — @C `_ 52JD :7 E96J 2C6 😕 4FDE@5J] w@H6G6C[ E96 =2HJ6CD 6IA64E E@ D66< >@C6 E:>6 E@ 82E96C G:56@ 2?5 @E96C 6G:56?46 😕 E96 42D6]k^Am

kAm“%9:D H2D 2? 23@>:?2E:@? @7 WA@=:46X 6D42=2E:@? H96? :E D9@F=5 92G6 366? 2 E6249:?8 >@>6?E 7@C 56\6D42=2E:@?[” D2:5 =2HJ6C tEE@C6 “t5” p?86=@[ H9@ C6AC6D6?ED 2?@E96C `d\J62C\@=5 8:C= 492C865 2?5 C6=62D65 😕 E96 42D6]k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.