Neighbor who assaulted Rand Paul blames piles of debris near yard
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- U.S. Sen. Rand Paul says he hadn't spoken for years to a neighbor who alleges in court documents that he lost his temper and attacked Paul after a problem with yard debris in their Kentucky subdivision. The man who pled guilty to attack on Paul, Dr. Rene Boucher, said Paul repeatedly stacked yard debris near their property line.
A statement from Paul's office Tuesday says Paul "had no conversations or discussions with the attacker" in the last decade.
The neighbor, Dr. Rene Boucher, is facing a 21-month sentence for assaulting a member of Congress. Boucher says in a sentencing memorandum that he lost his temper on the day of the Nov. 3 attack.
Boucher says he spoke with members of the homeowner's association about the issue, but a Paul spokesman says the senator didn't hear from the association.
Paul's statement says "any description of this attack that implies a 'yard dispute' justifies such violence and misses the point."
The November arrest warrant for Boucher said Paul suffered "small cuts to the nose and mouth area, and had trouble breathing." The attack left Paul with six broken ribs, cuts on his face and fluid buildup in his chest. He was later diagnosed with pneumonia.
"It was sort of, I guess, a living hell for the first four or five weeks. Couldn't get out of bed without assistance, six broken ribs, damage to my lungs, two bouts of pneumonia. It was really a tough go of it. But each day I feel a little bit better. This last month I've been doing better," Paul told "Face the Nation" in January.