PA State Police Form New Unit To Track Threats Against Lawmakers

The Pennsylvania State Police will set up a unit dedicated to investigating threats against elected officials after a communication breakdown that left several state lawmakers unaware they had been targeted on an online “hit list.”

Lt. Col. George Bivens, the acting commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, laid out the protocol changes and the creation of the Political Violence Threat Unit in a letter sent last week to Pennsylvania House and Senate leadership.

The agency’s internal review came on the heels of the arrest earlier this month of Adam Berryhill, 42, of Lebanon County.

Berryhill has been charged with a misdemeanor count of terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another. He was jailed at the Lebanon County Correctional Facility on $250,000 bail and waived his case to Common Pleas Court last week.

Troopers said Berryhill posted “politically violent” threats online, including a list targeting 20 Democratic state lawmakers. Among those targeted was State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, who represents the 10th Senatorial District in Bucks County.

According to authorities, an April 22 post by Berryhill allegedly read, “Oh you like posting hit lists? Here’s mine bitches,” and named House Speaker Joanna McClinton and other high-ranking Democrats. He allegedly referred to them as “gun grabbing communists.”

State police said Berryhill’s posts grew increasingly threatening and referenced a planned “Memorial Day operation” and the “God given right to kill your authorities.”

Berryhill is legally prohibited from owning firearms due to a 2019 involuntary mental health commitment.

State police said social media posts appear to show him possessing a scoped rifle and a suspected suppressor.

“While the investigation and threat mitigation were handled properly by PSP, a review of this matter reveals a breakdown in the notification process that should have occurred to the affected legislators,” Bivens wrote.

The new Political Violence Threat Unit will operate within the state police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

“The PVTU is composed of highly skilled investigators with expertise in complex criminal investigations. Its creation reflects a strategic response to the evolving patterns of political violence,” Bivens said. “The creation of this dedicated unit will enhance the PSP’s ability to respond to and mitigate incidents of political violence.”

Bivens said the unit’s investigators will work directly with the agency’s Tactical Intelligence Unit (TIU) to ensure continuity in the flow of information and the notification process.

The communication gap began after the Pennsylvania Crime Intelligence Center was notified of a threat against McClinton and other legislators on April 30. The TIU identified Berryhill within hours, Bivens wrote.

State police first relayed the information to the agency’s Executive Services Office, which then notified the Pennsylvania Capitol Police, the House sergeant-at-arms, and McClinton’s chief of staff.

However, as the TIU uncovered additional posts and victims the following day, including multiple state senators and representatives, the Executive Services Office was left out of the loop, which halted updates to the newly identified lawmakers.

State police said they obtained a search warrant for Berryhill’s home and arrested him.

Lebanon County court authorities mailed letters to the targeted legislators, and TIU staff did not realize the information had not been fully shared by the state police, Bivens said.

As part of the changed process, TIU investigators will share all threat information with the capitol police, the Executive Services Office, the Legislative Affairs Office, and the sergeants-at-arms for both legislative chambers. The sergeants-at-arms will then be responsible for notifying the targeted lawmakers, confirming that notification with the TIU, and informing local police departments, Bivens said.

The House and Senate sergeants-at-arms oversee security for members of their respective chambers, while the Pennsylvania Capitol Police hold jurisdiction over law enforcement matters in the Capitol and several state-owned properties. The Pennsylvania State Police and local law enforcement also assist with member security and threats. State police handle protective details for the governor, the lieutenant governor, their families, and their residences.

The latest follows a string of political violence in the commonwealth, including a 2025 arson attack on the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg by Cody Balmer, and the 2024 attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler County. The shooter in the Trump attempt was shot dead by law enforcement and the Governor’s Residence attacker is in state prison.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, told Spotlight PA that changes were needed to the notification process.

“This is another example of how political violence is becoming normalized in our country,” Santarsiero said in a statement.

“We need to continue to speak out against that trend and we need to address one of the root causes: a completely unregulated and unaccountable internet and social media environment that too often reinforces the most extreme content because it feeds a sense of outrage that, in turn, makes it too easy to accept violence as an alternative,” Santarsiero said. “Congress needs to act, and if it doesn’t, the states need to step in.”

Berryhill has a criminal history spanning the past 20 years, including for terroristic threats and drug-related offenses, according to Lebanon County court records.