Farmington Hills man who lunged at postal worker with knife charged with ethnic intimidation [Video]

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) – A Farmington Hills man allegedly threatened a mail carrier while she was on her route and shouted derogatory language at her last week, prompting the carrier to use her pepper spray to fend him off.

Prosecutors have now charged Russell Valleau, 61, of Farmington Hills with ethnic intimidation and assault and battery following the attack on Thursday. It took place outside a mobile home park near Grand River and Middlebelt.

The Oakland County prosecutor says Valleau was intoxicated when he rode up on his bike and started shouting at the carrier, “saying very racially disparaging things about her and then racially disparaging things about our current Vice President and presidential candidate.”

The incident is a microcosm of violence seeping into political identity and angst, McDonald said.

“Individuals are lashing out at complete strangers on the assumption that they have actually caused harm to them simply because of the color of …