A Michigan man was charged Friday with assaulting a mail carrier over a “Kamala Harris for President” mailer the mailman delivered to his mailbox.
Russell Frank Valleau, 61, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, was charged by Oakland County, Michigan District Attorney Karen D. McDonald with assaulting a mail carrier.
“The defendant was allegedly upset that he had received mail regarding presidential candidate Kamala Harris and allegedly stated that he did not want that ‘black b****’ in his mailbox,” according to a press release from the Oakland County, Michigan, district attorney’s office. said. “He then called the postman a ‘black b****’ and threatened the carrier. The postman used pepper spray to stop the defendant.”
Valleau was found nearby and taken into custody, according to the news release. He was charged with one count of ethnic intimidation, a felony, and one count of assault and battery, a misdemeanor, and was being held in the Oakland County Jail, according to the release.
A United States Postal Service mailbox is seen on September 12, 2024 in Miami, Florida.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
“In this highly charged political moment, everyone is entitled to their political opinion and voice. Regardless of our political beliefs, no one should be assaulted or threatened because of their race, or for doing their job. Hate crimes affect us all, and we will power to prosecute all such cases,” McDonald said in the press release.
If convicted of ethnic intimidation, Valleau faces up to two years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000, according to the release, while the assault and battery charge is punishable by up to 93 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $500.