A lawyer for the neighbor accused of assaulting Sen. Rand Paul outside his Kentucky home says the "unfortunate occurrence" had nothing to do with the political beliefs of either man. "It was a very regrettable dispute between two neighbors over a matter that most people would regard as trivial," says Matthew Baker, attorney for 59-year-old physician Rene Boucher. How trivial? Another neighbor tells CNN that Boucher and Paul have been "quibbling" for years over leaves and other yard waste blowing onto each other's lawns in their gated community outside Bowling Green. The neighbor says he didn't witness Friday's altercation, so he can't say if yard waste was the problem this time.
Boucher, who allegedly "blindsided" Paul, was charged with fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor, but police say he could face more serious charges because the senator's injuries are worse than first believed, the Washington Post reports. Paul has five rib fractures, including three potentially dangerous displaced fractures, according to his spokesman, Doug Stafford. A spokesman for the Kentucky State Police says after the arresting officer has submitted his report, prosecutors will decide whether Paul's injuries are serious enough to upgrade the charge to a felony. Boucher, who has been Paul's neighbor for 17 years, was released on $7,500 bail Saturday. (More Rand Paul stories.)
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