Springfield man facing felony charges for allegedly assaulting postal worker

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) -A man in Springfield is facing felony charges after allegedly assaulting a postal worker delivering mail.

According to court records, on June 18 at 10:30 a.m., a USPS mail carrier was delivering mail inside a marked delivery vehicle to a mailbox on South Virginia Avenue. That’s when Courtney Ellis hit the worker in the head with a wooden board.

The criminal complaint states Ellis then walked toward the truck from the area of the garage and yelled, “You don’t belong here,” to the mail carrier.

The USPS worker drove off, parked at a nearby house, and called his supervisor. Ellis again approached the vehicle and continued to yell and swear at him. Ellis then proceeded to put his hand in the shape of a pistol and pointed it at the mail carrier as if to shoot him, according to the complaint.

The mail carrier was driven to the hospital to be treated for his injuries and was later diagnosed with a concussion as a result of the assault.

This was the first time the mail carrier had delivered mail on the route. The carrier, a black man, believes that Ellis, a white man, attacked him due to the color of his skin, according to court documents.

If convicted, Ellis faces up to 20 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.

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