The Slatest

Sen. Rand Paul Suffers Minor Injury After He Is Assaulted by Kentucky Neighbor

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) gestures toward reporters following the weekly Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on October 24, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

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Sen. Rand Paul was assaulted at his home in Bowling Green, Kentucky on Friday, the Kentucky State Police said on Saturday. State troopers arrived at the Republican senator’s home on Friday at 3:21 p.m. and arrested Rene Albert Boucher, who allegedly “intentionally assaulted” Paul and caused “minor injury.” Paul’s office issued a statement saying the senator “was blindsided and the victim of an assault,” adding that he “is fine” and “it is now a matter for the police.”

Details are scant, but local reports claim Boucher, 59, is Paul’s neighbor. It’s unclear whether the attack was politically motivated but a quick perusal of what appears to be Boucher’s Facebook page shows he was not happy with President Donald Trump’s administration. There doesn’t seem to be anything about Paul immediately visible.

Boucher was still detained at Warren County’s jail on Saturday on a $5,000 bond. He is charged with fourth-degree assault, which is a Class A misdemeanor that can carry up to a 12-month sentence. His first court appearance has been scheduled for November 9.

The alleged assailant is an anesthesiologist “who developed a product called  Therm-a-Vest, a cloth vest partially filled with rice and secured by Velcro straps that is designed to relieve back pain by delivering heat directly to the areas of the back where most pain is felt,” reports the Bowling Green Daily News. He marketed the product through the QVC shopping channel. Boucher is a retired physician as of February, 2015.