A Michigan man was charged Friday with allegedly assaulting a mail service over a “Kamala Harris for President” mailer that the mail service delivered to his mailbox.
Russell Frank Valleau, 61, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, was charged by Oakland County, Michigan Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald with assaulting a mail service.
“The defendant was allegedly upset that he had obtained mail relating to presidential candidate Kamala Harris and allegedly mentioned that he didn’t need that ‘black b****’ in his mailbox,” in accordance with press launch from the Oakland County, Michigan prosecutor’s workplace mentioned. “He then known as the mail service a ‘black b****’ and threatened the service. The mail service used pepper spray to cease the defendant.”
Valleau was discovered close by and brought into custody, in accordance with the press launch. He was charged with one rely of ethnic intimidation, a felony, and one rely of assault and battery, which is a misdemeanor, and was being held on the Oakland County Jail, the discharge mentioned.
A United States Postal Service mail field is seen on September 12, 2024 in Miami, Florida.
Joe Raedle/Getty Pictures
“On this extremely charged political second, everybody has a proper to their political opinion and vote. No matter our political views, nobody needs to be assaulted or threatened due to their race, or for doing their job. Hate crimes affect all of us, and we are going to vigorously pursue all such circumstances,” McDonald mentioned within the press launch.
If convicted of ethnic intimidation, Valleau faces as much as two years in jail and/or a superb as much as $5,000, in accordance with the discharge, whereas the misdemeanor assault and battery cost is punishable by as much as 93 days in jail and/or a superb as much as $500.
