‘F— you, Black b—’: Man who went on racist tirade, assaulted postal worker for putting Kamala Harris flyers in mail convicted

A man from Michigan faces a year-long jail sentence after a jury convicted him for assaulting a U.S. Postal Service worker who put then-Vice President Kamala Harris flyers in his mailbox. Russell Valleau, 62, then proceeded to go on a racist and sexist tirade against the Black mail carrier, saying “F— you … Suck my d—, you Black b—.”

The jury found 62-year-old Russell Valleau guilty of assaulting a federal employee and acquitted him of using a dangerous weapon after a three-day trial and two hours of deliberations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said in a press release. According to the probable cause affidavit, the mail carrier was in her truck on Rockwell Street in Farmington Hills,  located 25 miles northwest of Detroit, at 5 p.m. Sept. 26 when Valleau approached her on his bicycle and started yelling profanities. He was upset about receiving mailer from the then Democratic nominee for President, saying he did not want that ‘Black b— in my mailbox.’

More from Law&Crime: ‘Go back to your f—ing country’: Man attacks victim in grocery store because of his race, says he’s ‘tired of foreigners,’ cops say

He also said “I’m tired of getting this Black, nasty b— mail.” The carrier was unsure what the defendant meant by this. She said if he didn’t want the mail to just leave it in the mailbox. Valleau reiterated the ‘black b—’ mail’ comment and added ‘do your f—in’ job.

The carrier told Valleau to back away and rolled up the window. As she did, he pulled out a knife and made motion toward her. In fear for her life, she then took out her USPS-issued pepper spray and maced him. A neighbor backed up the carrier’s account of events and said she heard Valleau yell “Ow my eyes” and fall into a ditch. Valleau appeared to be intoxicated.

Cops interviewed the defendant the next day and he denied putting his hands on the carrier. He claimed he could not remember what he told her. Authorities said he continued his racist remarks once in custody, using slurs to describe the mail carrier. When officers admonished him for his language, he allegedly responded with more slurs.

“A letter carrier was simply trying to do her job, and this defendant physically attacked her while using racist and offensive language,” Acting U.S. Attorney Julie A. Beck said in a statement. “This type of behavior has no place in our community and will not be tolerated.”