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Days after Sen. Rand Paul suffered five broken ribs, the lawyer for the man who has been charged with assaulting Paul says that politics are not involved — and that it was a case of "a very regrettable dispute between two neighbors over a matter that most people would regard as trivial."


The new details shed light on an attack on Paul in which 

 while he was mowing the yard at his home in Bowling Green, Ky., on Friday afternoon. After police were called, officers arrested Paul's neighbor, retired anesthesiologist Rene Boucher, setting off widespread speculation over what might have motivated the incident.
Boucher, a Democrat, has lived next door to Paul, a Republican, for 17 years, Boucher's attorney, Matt Baker, said in a statement to 

Paul's senior adviser, Doug Stafford, has said that the injuries to the Kentucky Republican are painful and can be dangerous. It's not known when the senator might be able to travel or return to work in Congress.

, Baker said, "It was absolutely not planned out beforehand."


He added, "It's just a disagreement — a long-standing disagreement between two neighbors."


The dispute may have its roots in the senator's yard. Citing neighbors and local Republicans, 

 says that Paul "has long stood out in the well-to-do gated neighborhood," handling his yard according to his own ideas — the 

mentions pumpkins and compost — rather than following neighborhood rules.
The

 also says that Paul's associates say he was set upon as he was getting off his riding mower. At the time, he was wearing ear protectors that kept him from hearing any sign of the impending attack, they say.



Paul has not commented publicly on the incident, other than to 

 saying, "Kelley and I appreciate the overwhelming support after Friday's unfortunate event. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers."



In addition to being neighbors, Baker said that Paul, who had a career as an ophthalmologist before going into politics full time, had worked with Boucher when both of them were practicing medicine.  Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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The attorney for Rene Boucher says "a matter that most people would regard as trivial" is behind an incident that left Sen. Rand Paul with five broken ribs.

Lawyer for Rand Paul's neighbor says 'trivial' dispute led to assault

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