A 61-year-old Michigan man was charged with a felony hate crime and assault for allegedly attacking a mail carrier for delivering a "Harris for President" mailer.

A Michigan man was charged Friday with allegedly assaulting a mail carrier over a “Kamala Harris for President” mailer that the mail carrier 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 carrier.

“The defendant was allegedly upset that he had received mail regarding presidential candidate Kamala Harris and allegedly said that he did not want that ‘black b****’ in his mailbox,” according to press release from the Oakland County, Michigan prosecutor’s office said. “He then called the mail carrier a ‘black b****’ and threatened the carrier. The mail carrier used pepper spray to stop the defendant.”

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  • Nine@lemmy.world
    2·
    3 months ago

    Depends on the state. Most states from my understanding work like this:

    Threatening to throw a rock and/or actually throwing it is assault. When / If the rock hits them then that’s battery.

    So in this case the threat of violence is the assault. Had he actually made contact then it would have been battery too.