Man Accused Of Trashing Lawmaker’s Office, Threatening Staff

A man was arrested Tuesday after police say he ransacked the district office of a state representative and threatened a staff member before walking around the building carrying a gas can.

Donald Ambrose, 65, of Bensalem Township, entered Republican State Rep. K.C. Tomlinson’s office in Bensalem Township at 11:10 a.m. to complain about a lack of assistance with a medical malpractice issue, court papers stated.

Police said Ambrose had previously visited the office and made “outlandish statements” before departing.

However, on Tuesday, Ambrose became “very aggressive” and began tossing paperwork from a staffer’s desk across the room while shouting, police said.

When a second individual in the office demanded that Ambrose leave and stated they were calling law enforcement, Ambrose walked to the exit, paused, and pointed a finger at someone inside the office.

“You’re dead,” Ambrose said, according to police.

Authorities said Ambrose then pulled a gas can from his vehicle and walked around the exterior of the office building, causing staff members to fear he planned to set the building on fire.

Ambrose then drove to the Bensalem Township Police Department headquarters to file his own report regarding the confrontation, according to investigators.

Police did not note in court papers that the incident was politically motivated.

Tomlinson, whose 18th Legislative District covers Bensalem Township and Hulmeville Borough, was in Harrisburg for a legislative voting session at the time of the incident.

In a statement, she condemned the actions and referenced a rise in hostile behavior toward public officials.

“We live in a very unsettling time, especially as public servants,” Tomlinson said. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have experienced a hostile encounter in just a few short months which is completely unacceptable.”

The lawmaker, who is pregnant, thanked Bensalem Township police for their response and praised her employees for how they handled the incident.

“We can disagree on issues but we must do better as human beings — it’s never okay to destroy property or threaten someone’s life,” Tomlinson said, adding that her office would continue its daily operations.

Ambrose was preliminarily arraigned by District Judge Joseph Falcone on several charges, including terroristic threats and harassment. He was jailed on 10 percent of $200,000.

The Bucks County incident follows a growing number of political violence in the Keystone State, including an assassination attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump, an attack on the Governor’s Residence while Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept, and recent threats against members of the General Assembly, including Democratic State Sen. Steve Santarsiero.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.