US postal carrier charged with assault, lying to police after brawl with Flint women

FLINT, Mich. (FOX 2) - A mail carrier has been charged with assault and battery and lying to police following a fight with two other women that was recorded on cellphone video outside a Flint apartment complex. 

The United States Postal Service carrier seen in this viral video, Trista Paige Newton, is now facing criminal charges for her role in the altercation with two Flint women earlier this month.

 "This is a perfect example of how a situation may not be exactly what it looks like at first glance," said David Leyton.

And here's what police saw, or more fittingly were initially told.

"When the first police officer got out to the scene of the incident, the postal worker told that police officer that the Chevy Malibu rammed her postal truck. She got out and she was attacked by the two women in the car," he said.

But after police did some more digging they learned the exact opposite happened. The postal worker struck the women's car.

They all assessed the damage and then got into an argument.

 "That's when the postal worker threw the first punch," said Leyton.

Leyton, the Gennesee County prosecuting attorney is charging Newton, 29, with lying to police and assault and battery.

Leyton says the two other women in the video who were initially taken into custody but released soon after-they will not face any charges. They did nothing wrong.

Video still of the fight between women and a US postal carrier.

"A lot of people were calling almost immediately for charges against the two young women involved, when in fact it was the postal worker who started the whole thing," he said.

The law enforcement arm of the Post Office released a statement which reads:

The U.S. postal inspector declined to comment on newton's charges, citing their desire to preserve the integrity of their investigations.

Video still of the fight between two women and a US postal carrier.

FOX 2 asked Leyton what turned the tide in this one.

"There were a number of different videos that surfaced as well as video from near the scene of the alleged incident," he said. "But bottom line, it was really good police work by Flint PD they talked to a variety of witnesses and they got us to where we think we got the charges correct."