Russell Valleau.Photo:Farmington Hills Police Department
Farmington Hills Police Department
At the time, Harris, a Democrat, had been campaigning for the presidency in the 2024 election.
Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.Andrew Harnik/Getty
Andrew Harnik/Getty
Then, Valleau allegedly yelled, “Black b****, suck my d***,” and told the postal worker he did not want that “Black b**** in my mailbox,” seemingly referring to Harris, prosecutors wrote in the affidavit. The postal worker then “used her USPS-issued pepper spray on the man,” who fled on his bike, prosecutors claimed.
Prosecutors said in the affidavit that no knife was recovered from Valleau when he was arrested or when police searched the area. They also alleged Valleau targeted the postal worker because of her race.
“I think that there were mental health and alcohol issues going on with him,” Valleau’s attorney, James Amberg, tells PEOPLE. “This wasn’t a situation where you were dealing with somebody who was a known racist. He was more of somebody who, as I told the jury, existed on the edge of society.”
Amberg adds, “He was getting other people’s mail and didn’t like that….It had nothing to do with politics.”
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According toThe Detroit News, the case is pending in Oakland County Circuit Court.
According to a Feb. 28press releasefrom the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, Valleau is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27 and faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison. Amberg tells PEOPLE that his client has already been behind bars for six months as of March 3.
source: people.com
