Man allegedly threatens to chop up Rand Paul and his family with an ax

Thomas Novelly | Courier Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Assault on Sen. Rand Paul shocks resident of gated Bowling Green community Developer Jim Skaggs 'couldn't believe' when he heard that a neighbor allegedly assaulted U.S. Senator Rand Paul outside his home in Bowling Green.

A man is accused of threatening to chop up U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and his family with an ax.

The man has been arrested. He allegedly called in the threats to Paul's Bowling Green office.

Paul mentioned the attack publicly at an event in Leitchfield, Kentucky, on Monday.

"Capitol Police have issued an arrest warrant for a man who threatened to kill me and chop up my family with an axe," Paul said. "It's just horrendous that we have to deal with things like this."

Capitol Police declined to comment because the investigation is ongoing.

Related: Feds appeal Rand Paul neighbor's jail sentence for lawn attack

This marks one of several threats and attacks Paul has had in the last year. More than a year ago, Paul was on the baseball diamond when James Hodgkinson opened fire and shot several congressional staffers as well as Rep. Steve Scalise, a Louisianna Republican.

Paul was unscathed.

The Kentucky senator also is involved in criminal and civil litigation against his neighbor, Rene Boucher. In November, Boucher tackled the senator while he was mowing the lawn of his Bowling Green home.

Boucher claimed he "had enough" of Paul's unsightly tree branches, sticks and leaves that were piled up along the property line, and he has consistently denied that the attack was politically motivated.

Boucher is a registered Democrat, according to the Kentucky State Board of Elections.

"It's been a year where we're becoming more and more aware of these threats," Paul said.

Other news: Kentucky woman posing with dead 'rare' giraffe she shot in South Africa sparks outrage

Thomas Novelly: 502-582-4465; tnovelly@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @TomNovelly. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/tomn.