A Michigan man is accused of beating a Black postal worker with a knife after receiving political mail advertisements supporting Kamala Harris.
On Friday, prosecutors in Farmington Hills, a Detroit suburb, accused 61-year-old Russell Frank Valleau of assault and ethnic intimidation, the latter punishable by up to two years in prison.
Valleau was reportedly detained the previous evening for yelling racial slurs at a US Postal Service mail carrier and “lunging” at her with a blade, prompting her to defend herself with her service-issued pepper spray.
According to Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald, this was not simply a case of a resident growing bored of election season and the accompanying flow of leaflets.
“The defendant was allegedly upset that he had received mail regarding presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and allegedly said that he did not want that ‘black b**ch’ in his mailbox,” stated McDonald.
“He then called the mail carrier a ‘black b**ch’ and threatened her. The mail carrier used pepper spray to apprehend the defendant. When police came, the defendant was discovered nearby.”
According to a police statement obtained by Law & Crime, the mail carrier called for assistance at around 5 p.m., claiming that the guy was irate over receiving Harris campaign ads and appeared to be intoxicated.
Valleau allegedly fled after being sprayed with pepper spray, only to be discovered and detained in a neighbor’s yard.
According to public documents obtained by The Independent, Valleau, a registered voter, is a white male with brown hair and blue eyes, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 155 pounds.
They also reveal a decades-long history of criminal arrests and convictions, ranging from violent stalking to domestic violence to felon possession of handguns.
“In this highly charged political moment, everyone has a right to their political opinion and vote,” McDonald told reporters on Saturday.
“Regardless of our political opinions, no one should be assaulted or threatened because of their race or for performing their duties. Hate crimes affect all of us, and we will severely prosecute any such cases.