**(CBS DETROIT) — **A 61-year-old Farmington Hills man faces multiple criminal charges after he allegedly assaulted a female postal carrier Thursday evening upon receiving a flyer in the mail featuring Vice President Kamala Harris.

Investigators say Russell Frank Valleau was allegedly upset about receiving the particular piece of mail and told the postal carrier that he did not want that “Black b****” in his mailbox. He’s accused of yelling derogatory, racist and sexual remarks about Harris and the carrier, calling the postal carrier a “Black b****” and lunging at her with a knife.

The postal carrier used pepper spray on Valleau to stop the attack. Farmington Hills police later arrested him in a neighbor’s yard.

  • cnirrad@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I wouldn’t want to see the orange removed in my mailbox, but if I did I’d just throw it away, like a normal human being.

    • protist@mander.xyz
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      Valleau was arraigned Friday on one felony count of ethnic intimidation and one misdemeanor count of assault and battery. He pleaded not guilty and was issued a $25,000 bond.

      If convicted of ethnic intimidation, Valleau faces up to two years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

      That doesn’t include the misdemeanor assault charge. He’s not being charged with attempted murder, it sounds like he brandished a knife and yelled slurs but didn’t attack her.

      • Miles O'Brien@startrek.website
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        2 months ago

        The article language wry much makes it sound like attempted murder, “lunging at her with a knife” you don’t hold a knife toward someone and rush toward them unless you’re planning on stabbing them.

        Neither I nor the article writer were there, so we don’t know the exact motion, but the words of the article make it sound like attempted murder to me.

        • curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          2 months ago

          Prosecutors can amend charges, they are probably still collecting evidence to determine if they can prosecute a higher charge, which is when they’d bring in something like attempted murder.

          I’m sure there is some legally restricting element like “a clear intent to kill” which would have to be demonstrated in court to have that charge stick.

        • xpinchx@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Even if he lunges it’s “just” assault, brandishing, terroristic threats. The dudes an idiot but that’s not attempted murder.

    • datavoid@lemmy.ml
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      2 months ago

      That’s honestly probably a bit extreme, most are just greedy

      • lennybird@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Their word choice could be a little better but if you understand the various degrees of Nazism 1930s Germany, this kind of rings true. Most nazi party members weren’t these dyed-in-the-wool SS types with full knowledge of the gas chambers; but they certainly conveniently looked the other way and enabled and benefited from it just the same. Naturally, many of these would continue to radicalize. Ignorance, greed, apathy, psychopathy, sure… Varying amounts at the individual level — yet all volunteer to reside under the same unifying banner.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    and told the postal carrier that he did not want that “Black b****” in his mailbox.

    “That’s okay, sir. I’m only authorized to put letters and packages in your mailbox. removed are forbidden to be put into mailboxes by federal law no matter what their color.”

    • RubberDuck@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      So… will they keep him in pre trial confinement until after the election? Repubs owning the libs 1 vote at a time… uh… wait…

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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    2 months ago

    Investigators say Russell Frank Valleau was allegedly upset about receiving the particular piece of mail and told the postal carrier that he did not want that “Black b****” in his mailbox. He’s accused of yelling derogatory, racist and sexual remarks about Harris and the carrier, calling the postal carrier a “Black b****” and lunging at her with a knife.

    Completely normal behavior.

    I added a reminder on Oct 8 to check this piece of shit’s sentence. Hopeful that he serves time. Political violence is bullshit.

  • andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    Is that one exclusive case or are there a lot of people who take a knife for murder at the needle drop?

    Seems like the world went insane, and insanely fragile.

  • HeyJoe@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    These are the people who call others snowflakes. And here is a guy who can’t handle getting a piece of paper in his mailbox. Makes sense.

  • Etterra@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    It’s insane how these people can’t tell the difference between a delivery person and a true believer.

    Oh wait, they can’t, because in their twisted little religious brains they’re identical.