WASHINGTON — Sen. Rand Paul suffered five broken ribs and bruises to his lungs in an altercation with a neighbor on Friday at his home in Bowling Green, Kentucky, one of the senator’s advisers said on Sunday. The injuries, which the adviser said left Paul in considerable pain, appear to be much worse than the “minor” injuries that the police had reported on Saturday.

Doug Stafford, a senior strategist to Paul, R-Ky., said in a statement that it was unclear when the senator would be able to return to work.

According to a criminal complaint, Paul told the police that he was tackled from behind after the neighbor entered his property, NBC News has reported. The senator also had cuts to his nose and mouth and had trouble breathing because of the rib injuries, the complaint said. Stafford attributed the injuries to “high-velocity severe force.”


The Kentucky State Police arrested the neighbor, Rene Boucher, 59, and took him to the Warren County Regional Jail, where he was released on $7,500 bond. Boucher, an anesthesiologist who invented a rice-filled vest used for back pain, has a court date set for Thursday. It is unclear what set off the altercation.

In a tweet on Sunday, Paul referred to the episode as an “unfortunate event” and thanked his well-wishers for their support.

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

On Saturday, a spokeswoman for Paul said the senator had been “blindsided” but was “fine.” Stafford’s statement alluded to a more severe kind of attack: “Displaced rib fractures can lead to life-threatening injuries,” he said. “This type of injury is also accompanied by severe pain that can last weeks to months.” Three of Paul’s broken ribs were displaced, Stafford said.

Mac Douglas, who lives about 100 yards away from Paul, said on Sunday that he was shocked to hear about the altercation, and that Paul and Boucher had been courteous neighbors. Douglas described the neighborhood as calm and secluded, and a place where residents did not regularly interact.

“It’s unusual when you see a senator and a doctor having problems,” Douglas said.

Still, one of Paul’s neighbors told a local news outlet that Paul and Boucher had “ongoing problems.” Paul was mowing his lawn at the time of the altercation, the neighbor said.


Jeremy Hodges, a Kentucky State Police trooper, said on Sunday that the preliminary investigation of the attack was finished, and that the police were waiting for court proceedings. Hodges said that Boucher had been charged with misdemeanor assault, in part because no weapon was used in the attack.

“There’s always a chance that the victim, if he sought medical treatment and it’s a more serious injury, that the charges can go up,” Hodges added.

He declined to comment on a possible motive for the attack.

The episode occurred almost five months after a shooting at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, where Paul and other members of Congress were practicing for the annual congressional baseball game. The gunman intentionally targeted Republicans; Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana was badly wounded.

If Paul faces a long delay in returning to Washington — Stafford’s statement noted that the senator’s injuries could make flying difficult — it could further complicate Republicans’ already tenuous 52-48 majority in the Senate. Paul, a recent golfing partner of President Donald Trump’s, is a key vote on tax reform legislation, and he worked closely with Trump on an executive order on health care that was signed last month.