Brawl breaks out when police chief in street clothes tries to arrest HS girl protesting ICE. Now some want chief to resign.



A brawl broke out late last week after a police chief dressed in street clothes tried to arrest a high school girl who allegedly was causing trouble amid a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement — and now some residents in the southeastern Pennsylvania borough of Quakertown want the chief to resign.

The Bucks County Courier Times said a probable cause affidavit provides the first official police account of what led to the arrest of five Quakertown High School students.

'Everybody was confused because nobody knew it was a policeman. He was in regular clothes. We were just like, "Why is the man attacking us?"'

At least 35 students participated in the Friday walkout to protest ICE, the Courier Times said, citing the affidavit.

Quakertown police had been monitoring the protest “from a safe distance” and assisting with road closures after students left the high school campus and headed into the downtown business district, the paper said.

More from the Courier Times:

Early in the protest Friday police allege they noticed a large group of protesters move into the road in the 100 block of East Broad Street, and a girl kicked a white pickup truck on the passenger side several times and hit the side mirror with her hand, the affidavit said.

Protesters also threw “ice balls” at vehicles, stood on public benches, and police approached the group and requested they protest respectfully, and keep the sidewalk clear, the affidavit said.

In a statement issued Friday, Quakertown police alleged student protesters threw snowballs at vehicles, kicked cars, and “damaged property such as tearing a side mirror from a car.”

The police statement also said that additional officers were called to the scene when confrontations with students escalated “and some individuals assaulted officers.”

However, the paper said witnesses and protesters alleged that motorists followed the students and revved their engines, blew exhaust fumes at them, and yelled taunts at the students.

The Courier Times, citing the affidavit, said students who continued walking toward Front Street were yelling obscenities “at the officers and in general."

RELATED: Praise rolls in for high school suspending hundreds of students over anti-ICE walkout: 'Adults are taking charge'

Police said a 15-year-old female protester was seen "numerous times" walking in the road, including in front of moving vehicles and blocking traffic, and she was warned to stay on the sidewalk, the paper reported.

An officer allegedly ordered the girl to come across the street to be detained, and when she started to walk away from him, the officer grabbed her arm, the Courier Times said, citing the affidavit.

With that, other teen protesters confronted the officer and pulled the girl away, which allowed her to slip into the crowd, the paper said, citing the affidavit.

The officer radioed for assistance, the affidavit said, after which Quakertown Police Chief Scott McElree, 72, and a sergeant arrived at the scene. The officer pointed to the girl he was trying to detain, and McElree allegedly attempted to arrest her — but a boy was pulling her away, the affidavit added.

More from the Courier Times:

After McElree grabbed the boy, he pulled away and struck the chief in the head with his cell phone multiple times, the affidavit said.

The boy was eventually taken to the ground and placed in custody after he intervened again attempting to keep McElree away from the 15-year-old girl, according to the document.

Multiple teens encircled McElree and began to punch and hit him including the 15-year-old girl that police were originally attempting to detain, the affidavit said.

The paper, citing the affidavit, added that a sergeant saw another teen boy dressed in black come up behind McElree and hit him three times on the right side of his face and rib area. With that, the sergeant grabbed the teen, took him down, and placed him in handcuffs, the Courier Times said.

RELATED: Juvenile hit by car at student anti-ICE protest in Florida

Another police officer saw a girl hit McElree in the head with her backpack while the chief was on the ground grappling with a female protester, the paper said, citing the affidavit.

What's more, a detective who responded to the scene allegedly saw a girl punch McElree in the head, after which the detective caught the girl and placed her on the sidewalk, where she allegedly kicked him several times while being handcuffed, the Courier Times said.

The girl whom police originally wanted to detain was taken into custody, the paper said, adding that her attorney, Ettore "Ed" Angelo, on Tuesday denied his client had any physical contact with McElree.

In all, five students were arrested and taken to juvenile detention.

Three of them were released Tuesday, the Courier Times said, adding that the status of the remaining two is unknown, and the Bucks County District Attorney's Office has released no information as of Tuesday. The DA's office on Thursday did not immediately respond to Blaze News' question regarding how many students have been released.

Authorities have not released their names, ages, and charges since they're juveniles, but the paper said it confirmed that at least two of the students face felony aggravated assault charges.

RELATED: Video shows brawl after high school walkout protester allegedly hit pro-ICE man — and the man is charged with child abuse

The Courier Times, citing the affidavit, said McElree was treated at a hospital for nonspecific injuries. The paper added that his face was covered in blood as he left the scene; however, in a cellphone video posted to social media he's heard telling an officer that he was "fine."

Since the melee, McElree has been facing increasing backlash, including calls for him to resign. One of the issues is that the chief was not in uniform and allegedly did not identify himself as a police officer, the Courier Times said.

Ashley Orellana, a Quakertown High School senior and friend of one of the arrested students, told WPVI-TV that "everybody was confused because nobody knew it was a policeman. He was in regular clothes. We were just like, 'Why is the man attacking us?'"

Orellana attended a hearing Tuesday to support one of the defendants, the station said, adding that Robert McMillion, who witnessed his younger sister's arrest, also was in attendance.

"The chief, the unmarked man, he just started attacking us first, and something should be happening to him instead of the kids," McMillion told WPVI.

At a borough council meeting Monday night, parents and community members called for McElree to resign or be fired, the station said.

RELATED: Girl says she fought 'old,' 'racist' man with MAGA hat at ICE protest — and excuses fellow teen brawlers

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania alleged that McElree violated his commitment to "serve and protect" his community amid the incident, WHYY-TV reported.

"By all accounts, including abundant video evidence, there were no issues at the demonstration until Quakertown police arrived and incited violence," Witold Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, told the station in a statement.

Walczak added to WHYY that "the police should have been there to facilitate the demonstration, ensuring that the students could safely exercise their rights to assemble and speak out freely as guaranteed by our Constitution. They failed. In abandoning his job and his mission on Friday afternoon, Chief McElree effectively was acting as a counter-protester, albeit one with the ability to arrest people. Quakertown deserves better."

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Mom with child in tow accused of shooting toward sushi server. What allegedly triggered her is far from your average motive.



A St. Louis mother is facing multiple felony charges after police say she fired a gun inside a Kirkwood, Missouri, sushi restaurant amid an argument with staff last week, KTVI-TV reported.

Kirkwood police told the station the shooting took place just before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

'You're going to get it.'

Police said Aaliyah N. Moorehead, 31, told officers she believed restaurant staff were rude to her and her family when they arrived, KTVI reported, adding that Moorehead was with her 9-year-old child.

Moorehead also said she used a translation feature on her AirPods to determine that the cooks made racial and derogatory comments in Spanish about her and her family, the station said.

Police said Moorehead also got upset over what she described as an issue with her order, KTVI said. A server offered to correct the order, but Moorehead began swearing at the server and was asked to leave, the station noted.

Moorehead then threw a bowl of soup at the server, hitting him and others nearby, authorities told KTVI.

The server moved a chair between himself and Moorehead, the station said, adding that she grabbed the chair and threw it.

Moorehead then took out a 9mm Glock handgun, threatened the server, and fired a shot in his direction, police told KTVI, adding that Moorehead's 9-year-old was walking between Moorehead and the server at the time.

Police told KMOV-TV that Moorehead said, “You’re going to get it,” before firing the shot.

The bullet missed the server, went through a refrigerator, and struck a wall, KTVI said, adding that no one was injured.

RELATED: Unruly restaurant patron takes Taser from off-duty cop working security — and shoots cop with it. But troublemaker runs out of luck when officer pulls his gun.

Police said the restaurant manager told officers the suspect drove away in a white SUV, and officers located the vehicle soon after and detained those in the car, KTVI said.

After reviewing the restaurant’s security video, police identified the SUV's occupants as Moorehead, her 9-year-old child, and another adult woman, KTVI said.

Police told KMOV the entire incident was captured on surveillance video and that Moorehead admitted to firing the gun.

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Moorehead with first-degree assault, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, endangering the welfare of a child, and first-degree property damage, KTVI said.

Moorehead was still behind bars Tuesday morning at the St. Louis County Justice Center; jail records do not show a court date.

KTVI said Moorehead is being held on a $150,000 cash-only bond.

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New Mexico GOP Headquarters Entrance Hit In Seemingly ‘Deliberate Act Of Arson’

'We will emerge from this stronger, more united, and more determined to fight'

Florida street takeover thug arrested, accused of being part of mob that stomped on, broke bystanders' windshields, set fire



Florida authorities have arrested a 19-year-old male they accused of taking part in multiple street takeovers, including one last November in which a reported "mob" set a fire, harassed bystander motorists, and even stomped on and broke their windshields.

Florida Highway Patrol told Blaze News that Adam Benouttas of Kissimmee was arrested Thursday.

Benouttas was charged with coordinating or facilitating street takeover, filming / recording street takeover, stunt driving, obstructing traffic for street takeover, aggravated rioting, inciting a riot, and disorderly conduct.

Police said Benouttas was directly involved in the coordinated street takeover incident that took place Nov. 30 at the intersection of South John Young Parkway and Central Florida Parkway in Orlando.

Police said the event included the harassment of other drivers and bystanders and extensive property damage to multiple vehicles.

The incident was captured on cellphone video.

Benouttas was identified as one of the primary “sliders,” performing dangerous stunt-driving maneuvers, such as doughnuts, in the intersection during the event, police said.

The defendant's vehicleImage source: Florida Highway Patrol

Police said Benouttas was charged with:

  • Coordinating or facilitating street takeover
  • Filming / recording street takeover
  • Stunt driving
  • Obstructing traffic for street takeover
  • Aggravated rioting
  • Inciting a riot
  • Disorderly conduct

The defendant's propertyImage source: Florida Highway Patrol

According to WOFL-TV, approximately 30 individuals took part in the Nov. 30 street takeover — and a mother and her baby were in one of the damaged bystander cars.

The station said it's unclear if any other arrests have been made.

You can view WOFL's video report here on Benouttas' arrest.

Anything else?

Blaze News has reported extensively on street takeovers, which seem to have been occurring around the country with greater frequency over the last several years.

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Dumb twerking teens caught on video vandalizing business. Dumber still? Gang symbols carved into cars lead to arrest.



Twerking teenagers were caught on surveillance video recently vandalizing a Los Angeles-area business called Pink Sponge Home Cleaning, KTLA-TV reported.

What are the details?

The station said vandals broke into the Glendora business in the early morning hours of April 20. Surveillance video from the Pink Sponge's rooftop parking lot showed at least three teens carrying out vandalism, including blasting a fire extinguisher and chucking a large object at one of the company’s 25 pink Volkswagen Bugs, KTLA said.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Of course, two of the vandals also were infamously caught twerking atop the hood of one of the cars.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

“They kicked in every headlight they could,” Jennifer Ahlgrim of Pink Sponge told KTLA. “They pulled down the windows so hard, they broke the regulators. They carved on the hoods of cars.”

Image source: YouTube screenshot

“They tore open a door and threw products over the side of the building," Ahlgrim added to the station. "It was disgusting."

Dumb and dumber

You'd think that today's teens would be savvy enough to know that just about every business is outfitted with surveillance cameras, but the dumb teens either didn't know or didn't care.

Dumber still is that police told KTLA gang symbols were carved upon some of the Pink Sponge company cars, and that led them to a juvenile suspect — a 15-year-old gang member from La Verne who was arrested in connection with the break-in.

Authorities added to the station that they have the suspect's cell phone and are hoping to use it to find the two teen girls who were involved in the break-in.

Meanwhile, the outfit is picking up the pieces after 18 of its vehicles were heavily vandalized to the tune of $25,000 in damages, the station said.

“I couldn’t understand how someone could do something like this to a company that’s trying to do good,” Ahlgrim added to KTLA. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

The co-founder of the company added to the station that the insurance claim was denied because the company had been vandalized previously.

A GoFundMe has been organized to help the business with the cost of repairs and the loss of many of its supplies, KTLA noted.

Teens vandalize San Gabriel Valley business youtu.be

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'Our city is in peril': Portland business owner closes store — and posts scathing note on front door blasting criminals, authorities who fail to punish them



A Portland, Oregon, business owner permanently closed her store this week — and posted a scathing note on the front door blasting criminals as well as authorities who fail to punish them.

What are the details?

“Our city is in peril,” the note on the door of Rains PDX read. “Small businesses (and large) cannot sustain doing business in our city’s current state. We have no protection, or recourse, against the criminal behavior that goes unpunished. Do not be fooled into thinking that insurance companies cover losses. We have sustained 15 break-ins … we have not received any financial reimbursement since the 3rd.”

\u201cThe owner at Rains tells me after five break-ins in about three weeks, she made the sudden decision to permanently close. Staff here are putting pressure on the city to look after small businesses dealing with ongoing challenges with crime.\u201d
— Megan Allison (@Megan Allison) 1669494749

Rains PDX owner Marcy Landolfo told KATU-TV that this week marked the 15th break-in at her business in a year and a half.

"It’s just too much with the losses that are not covered by insurance, the damages, everything," Landolfo added to the station. "It’s just not sustainable."

She also told KATU that she's covered the cost out of pocket for most of the necessary repairs following break-ins — and that after others, she simply left windows boarded up.

"The products that are being targeted are the very expensive winter products, and I just felt like the minute I get those in the store, they’re going to get stolen," Landolfo explained to the station.

Landolfo also told KATU she's concerned about her employees' safety and doesn't see her physical store as a feasible business model anymore.

"The problem is, as small businesses, we cannot sustain those types of losses and stay in business," she added to the station. "I won’t even go into the numbers of how much has been out of pocket."

KATU said it reached out to Mayor Ted Wheeler's office when Rains PDX was broken into in late October.

While the mayor's team said work is being done to increase funding for business repair grants through Prosper Portland, Landolfo told the station that isn't sufficient action.

"Paying for glass — that’s great, but that is so surface and does nothing for the root cause of the problem, so it’s never going to change," she added to KATU.

Just two weeks ago, KPTV-TV reported on Portland's rampant property crime and its impact on businesses:

City of Portland struggling with rampant property crimeyoutu.be

FACT CHECK: Does This Footage Show Destruction In Ukraine?

The video shows tornado damage in Kentucky

Texas rancher says illegal immigrants have caused $60,000 in property damages on his land: 'We don't have the same rights as other people do'



A Texas rancher says he has sustained $60,000 in property damages because of the ongoing "invasion" of illegal immigrants coming across the southern border.

Brent Smith, a rancher and attorney from Kinney County, told Fox News on Monday that ranchers in the area where he lives have been forced to hire private security "to defend their own property rights."

"Us Americans, in this part of Texas, we don't have the same rights as other people do," Smith said. "We can't enjoy our property and go in our backyards anymore at night. It's a tragedy."

He harshly criticized President Joe Biden for neglecting to enforce immigration law by permitting migrants who cross the border illegally to be released from detention and enter the U.S.

Since assuming office, Biden has prioritized dismantling the immigration and border security policies of his predecessor President Donald Trump. Biden reinstated "catch and release" policies that ended under Trump, and he also cancelled construction of a wall on the southern border and overturned the Trump administration's remain-in-Mexico policy requiring migrants to wait for their asylum cases to be processed before entering the U.S.

Because of Biden's policies, immigration enforcement agencies have reported record numbers of illegal immigrants attempting to cross the southern border. This fiscal year there have been more than 1.1 million migrants encountered by Border Patrol agents.

These migrants are trespassing on land owned by American ranchers to avoid detection by immigration and border enforcement, and Smith said that criminal activity on the border has left many Americans in border communities feeling unsafe, even during the day.

"If you don't have a gun with you, you're taking a chance," he said of ranchers walking on their own property. "And it's sad that that's the reality we live in today."

He added that criminal drug cartels "are in absolute control of both sides of the border right now."

According to Smith, no one is compensating the ranchers for damages inflicted on their property.

"If it's a stolen vehicle that goes through the property their vehicle insurance isn't going to pay for it and ours won't either so the landowners are stuck with paying for this," Smith said.

He explained that ranchers are also liable to cover the costs when livestock escape from damaged fences and cause accidents on the road.

Some in Congress are working to correct the injustice. Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) on July 30 introduced bipartisan legislation in the House of Representatives that would reimburse farmers and ranchers for costs incurred by vandalism of their property from the illegal immigration surge.

Pfluger's bill would redistribute $300 million in unspent COVID-19 rescue funds to pay farmers and ranchers for damages on their property related to migrant activity.

Farmers and ranchers near the border are enduring livestock loss, crop loss, and damage to fences, physical structu… https://t.co/COTmk3J0Ns

— Rep. August Pfluger (@RepPfluger) 1627870641.0

"Farmers and ranchers near the border are enduring livestock loss, crop loss, and damage to fences, physical structures, and more at the hands of trespassing coyotes and illegal migrants," Pfluger said on social media. "My bill, the #RAPIDAct, would reimburse farmers for these damages.

Looting, vandalism from 2020 riots estimated to break insurance claim records



The looting and destruction of property linked to riots following the death of George Floyd are estimated to be the "most expensive in insurance history," according to an exclusive report from Axios.

What are the details?

Axios reported that according to data from a firm called Property Claim Services, "The protests that took place in 140 U.S. cities this spring were mostly peaceful, but the arson, vandalism and looting that did occur will result in at least $1 billion to $2 billion of paid insurance claims — eclipsing the record set in Los Angeles in 1992 after the acquittal of the police officers who brutalized Rodney King."

Damage from the LA riots following the acquittal of the officers seen on video beating King cost insurers $775 million, which comes in at $1.42 billion when adjusted to 2020 dollars.

But the claims keep rolling in for property damage linked to civil unrest following the death of Floyd in late May, as riots in several U.S. cities continue months later — meaning even the high $2 billion estimate could be eclipsed.

Loretta Worters of the Insurance Information Institute explained to the outlet, "It's not just happening in one city or state — it's all over the country. And this is still happening, so the losses could be significantly more."

The Daily Wire noted:

The Floyd riots are also notable because the destruction is ongoing in places like Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, and new riots and incidents of looting crop up in cities weekly, as new police-involved shooting incidents come to light. The $2 billion likely does not include damage in Rochester, New York, or Lancaster, Pennsylvania, both of which played host, last weekend, to demonstrations that eventually turned violent. And it definitely does not include anticipated unrest following the November presidential election.

Other costly periods of civil unrest in America "include the Watts riots in Los Angeles in 1965, the 1967 Detroit riot, and the New York City blackout of 1977," Fox News reported.

Those events racked up losses totaling $357 million, $322 million, and $118 million respectively, in 2020 dollars.

Property Claim Services classifies events that result in more than $25 million in losses to be a "catastrophe."

Anything else?

The Daily Mail pointed out that property damage claims due to civil unrest typically "pale in comparison to those related to natural disasters."

The outlet reported, "Insurance companies paid out a total of $219billion worldwide for natural disasters in 2017 and 2018, according to Swiss Re," adding that "in California alone, insurance companies paid out $20 billion in claims during those two years after wildfires devastated the state."

BLM riot damages 'worst in history' totalling over $2 BILLION

The Insurance Information Institute has compiled some pretty shocking data. According to them, property damage claims due to the riots this summer have now probably surpassed $2 billion, making them the costliest riots in US history.