Rand Paul Recovering with 5 Broken Ribs after Violent Attack
A man has been arrested and charged with assaulting Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. at his Bowling Green residence Friday.
"Senator Paul was blindsided and the victim of an assault," Paul spokeswoman Kelsey Cooper said. "The assailant was arrested and it is now a matter for the police."
A senior adviser for Paul revealed Sunday that the U.S. senator suffered five broken ribs in the attack and it is unclear when Paul will return to work in the Senate since he is in considerable pain and has difficulty getting around. Doug Stafford said Sunday that the broken ribs include three displaced fractures, which can lead to life-threatening injuries.
Police say Paul's neighbor, Rene Boucher, 59, of Bowling Green had intentionally assaulted Paul causing the injuries.
Taking to Twitter Sen. Paul thanked the community for their prayers.
Kelley and I appreciate the overwhelming support after Friday’s unfortunate event. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) November 5, 2017
Bousher and Paul are neighbors and have reportedly been involved in an ongoing feud for some time.
It is unclear as of yet whether the attack was politically motivated, but the FBI is investigating to determine if it was. Another neighbor said the two men disagreed politically, but he was shocked to hear about the incident.
According to reports, Boucher is an anesthesiologist. He is charged with one count of 4th-degree assault and causing a minor injury.
Boucher was taken to the Warren County Detention Center. He is out on bond after posting $7,500 bail.
His first court appearance has been set for Nov. 9.
