Rand Paul Sues Rene Boucher Over Lawnmowing Assault

On November 2017, Sen. Rand Paul was assaulted by a neighbor during a heated argument. Now, Paul is suing Rene Boucher, who was arrested and charged with one count of fourth-degree assault. Boucher then pled guilty to the felony charges, spent 30 days in jail, and paid a $10,000 fine, according to TMZ. Also, Boucher also served 100 hours of community service and was told not to contact Paul or his family.

Paul was badly injured with five broken ribs, with three that were partially or completely cracked.

The lawsuit claims that Paul has suffered from Boucher’s actions which are called “cruel, malicious, willful, wanton with total disregard for his rights, life, and liberties.” The suit is seeking punitive and compensatory damages. Also, Paul is seeking a no-contact order from the courts.

The incident reportedly stemmed from a decades-old rivalry between Paul and his neighbor. According to Jim Skaggs, Boucher was a stickler for the neighborhood rules and kept his yard in pristine condition. However, Paul apparently was more lax about his yard care. The two apparently fought before about debris drifting into Boucher’s yard, and Boucher didn’t like that Paul didn’t cut his grass evenly, reported Mother Jones. The violent episode was triggered when Paul stacked brush and sticks in a pile between their two homes. That upset Boucher so much that he ended up tackling Paul.

And now, the feud continues. Boucher’s attorney Matt Baker said that “Dr. Boucher issued a sincere and heartfelt apology at the sentencing … Apparently that apology has not and will not be accepted. Instead, the senator has decided to file this lawsuit.”

The complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages from neighbor Rene Boucher for "physical pain and mental suffering" from the November assault. https://t.co/T6xoQnNS4h

— Bluegrass Politics (@BGPolitics) June 26, 2018

Meanwhile, Paul’s attorney has said that “The first phase of this matter, the criminal action, resulted in Dr. Boucher pleading guilty to felony assault … This next phase, the civil action, will determine the financial responsibility owed to the victim.”

Initially, federal prosecutors wanted a 21-month sentence for Boucher, but he only received a 30-day jail sentence, according to the Courier Journal.

Although a citizen assaulting another citizen would have incurred less penalties, it’s a felony to assault a member of Congress.

Meanwhile, Boucher denies that the assault was politically motivated although he is a Democrat.

Paul’s spokeswoman Kelsey Cooper released the following statement after Boucher was sentenced, reported WKU.

“No one deserves to be violently assaulted. A felony conviction is appropriate and hopefully will deter the attacker from further violence. The original 21-month sentence requested would have been the appropriate punishment. I commend the FBI and Department of Justice for treating this violent, pre-meditated assault with the seriousness it deserves.”