State College Police Chief John Gardner said his department would conduct a complete investigation after a man threatened that any effort by borough council to defund police would “be met with the force of the Second Amendment.”

The threat came amid Monday night’s State College Borough Council meeting, held via Zoom, in which dozens of community members spoke during three hours of public comment about the borough’s 2021 budget. Comments throughout the night were focused on whether the borough should reallocate some police funding for mental health and social services.

About two hours into the meeting, a man identifying himself first as “Wyatt Earp” and then as “Ted Dannerth,” cited a recent meeting with state legislators representing Centre County before making the threat against borough council members and advocates for police reform. He also mentioned one council member specifically by name.

“We have an issue at hand where if you defund our police, if you ignore our election system, there is an issue,” he said. “If you guys want to bring it, it will be met with force under the Constitution, the Second Amendment and no one is scared… If you defund the police you will be met with the force of the Second Amendment which is prescribed per the Constitution, period.”

He began the remarks by saying “we have a condition in this country and I’ve seen it and I have proof,” then said he had attended a meeting on Sunday at Glenn O. Hawbaker with state Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Benner Township; House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte; and Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, R-McElhattan.

He did not explain to what “condition” he was referring or what “proof” he has.

Corman’s spokesperson, Jenn Kocher, said the senator condemned the remarks. He was invited to and attended a meeting on Sunday with about 50 people to discuss the election and other issues, Kocher said.

“As someone who has himself been the object of violent threats now and in the past, Senator Corman condemns all acts and threats of violence,” Kocher said. “He strongly believes we need to be able to have a political discussion and opposing positions without passions turning into aggression.”

Benninghoff and Borowicz have not yet returned messages seeking comment.

Another member of the public said he attended the Sunday meeting and that there was no incitement or remarks of any kind made that would lead to “Wyatt Earp’s” threat.

“He certainly didn’t speak for me and I don’t believe he spoke for anyone else at that meeting,” said College Township resident Bruce Russell. “There certainly was a lot of passion in the room. There were a lot of things discussed. They were all very positive. But not one word was ever uttered that I heard by anyone that threatened anyone else. Where that came from, quite frankly, I have no idea. I’d like to assure you and everyone else that is listening that that man speaks for himself and no one else.”

After public comment concluded, Gardner addressed the threat.

“Let me say how disgusted I was with those comments,” Gardner said. “They certainly don’t reflect the thoughts or the opinions of the police department. We have to be able to have a civil dialogue and we have to be able to listen to all points of view and I fully support that.

“With that in mind we are going to make every effort to identify whoever Wyatt Earp is and do a complete investigation with a consult from the district attorney’s office and see what if anything we can hold that individual accountable for, because that is not acceptable. We will be investigating that to the fullest extent.”

Public comment addressed several perspectives on police funding. At a work session last week, council members were split as they debated whether the 2021 budget should fill eight vacant police officer positions or fill four and add a Civilian Response Team. The response team would employ social and mental health workers who would respond to calls —depending on circumstances, with or without police — involving mental health, homelessness and civil disputes and provide follow-up information about available services.

State College’s 2020 budget authorized 62 sworn police officers, but with departures and positions left unfilled, the department is currently operating with 54 officers. 

The 3/20 Coalition, the advocacy group formed following the fatal police shooting of Osaze Osagie last year in State College, has called for $2 million of the $11 million budget for police to be reallocated to mental health and social services that are not under the purview of the police department.

The majority of speakers on Monday favored some form of reallocation of funds, though about a dozen people expressed support for fully funding the police department with 62 officers. Views varied as some said they support funding social services but not at the expense of the police department, while others said the borough should split the difference and fill more police positions and fewer response team positions.

Before Gardner spoke, several members of the public decried the Second Amendment threat. Nanre Nafziger, a 3/20 Coalition member, said she viewed it as a threat against coalition members and that the man should be investigated for making terroristic threats.

“We will be holding everyone accountable if violence is meted against our community for demanding our civil rights,” she said.

Another coalition member, Nick Pressley, said the group does not threaten anyone and makes its point through peaceful means.

“We’re not doing what the other guy did and calling on Second Amendment rights,” he said. “We vote and our voice matters.”

One member of the public who spoke in favor of defunding police, but who did not identify himself as a 3/20 Coalition member, did make a seemingly menacing remark in calling those who support fully funding the police department “white supremacists.”

“I’m just glad you’ve given us your name and location but I want to know where the f*** you work. What’s the name of your goddamn business?” he said before being cut off by Mayor Ron Filippelli.

Filippelli also apologized for not cutting off “Wyatt Earp” when he made the Second Amendment remark, later calling it “abhorrent.”

Council President Jesse Barlow condemned the threat.

“It’s inappropriate for any speaker to threaten any other speakers,” Barlow said. “That is not appropriate in a democratic society.”

Borough council’s next work session is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday. Budget adoption is scheduled for council’s meeting on Dec. 21.