Police Release Rand Paul's 911 Call After Attack by Neighbor Broke His Ribs - Listen to It Here
Authorities have released audio of the 911 call Sen. Rand Paul made after he was allegedly assaulted by his neighbor at his home in November.
In the phone call, obtained by WLKY and released Monday, the Kentucky Republican seems to be in pain, though he can be heard telling the police dispatcher that his injuries are “not a life-or-death thing.”
“I was assaulted by my neighbor and I just, it’s not a life-and-death thing but I’d like to have a police car come by,” he said.
Later, a second dispatcher asked where the assault occurred, to which Paul responded, “In my yard, while I was mowing the grass.” The senator also provided the second dispatcher with his full name, “Randal Paul.”
Paul suffered six broken ribs when his neighbor, 58-year-old Rene A. Boucher, allegedly tackled him from behind while Paul was mowing the lawn at his home in Bowling Green, according to TheBlaze.
Boucher has admitted to the assault, but said there was no political motivation behind the incident. Instead, he claimed to have been annoyed about the way Paul maintains his yard.
“On November 3, 2017, the victim was mowing his yard while wearing headphones,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “Boucher allegedly witnessed the victim stack brush onto a pile near the victim’s property and ‘had enough.’ Boucher ran onto the victim’s property and tackled the victim.”
As part of a plea agreement, Boucher is being charged with felony assault against a member of Congress, Fox News reported. Prosecutors want him to be imprisoned for nearly two years, but his lawyer, Matt Baker, thinks that is far too harsh of a punishment.
“Everyone needs to remember, first and foremost, that this is a dispute between two neighbors,” Baker told The Associated Press.
“It was not and has never been politically motivated. And if this very same incident had occurred between two private persons, neither of whom were a congressman or a senator, we wouldn’t be in federal court.”
In addition to suffering six broken ribs, Paul developed pneumonia as a result of the incident. Earlier this month, he told CBS‘ “Face the Nation” that in the weeks following the assault, he felt as though he was in a “living hell.”
“It was sort of, I guess, a living hell for the first four or five weeks,” Paul said. “Couldn’t get out of bed without assistance, six broken ribs, damage to my lungs, two bouts of pneumonia. It was really a tough go of it.”
“But each day I feel a little bit better. This last month I’ve been doing better.”
Paul has also expressed confusion as to why he was attacked in the first place, noting that he and his neighbor were not really on bad terms.
“It’s not like sort of we had some sort of discussion over any dispute. We just had no discussion until he decided to mug me,” he told WHAS in late November. “It’s a weird situation and it sort of defies understanding.”
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