Facebook/Rene Boucher

Dr. Rene Boucher pictured on his Facebook page.

A Democrat doctor has been arrested in Kentucky and accused of attacking Republican Senator Rand Paul. State Troopers in Kentucky responded to Paul’s home in Bowling Green on the afternoon of November 3. There, they arrested Dr. Rene Boucher, 59. He’s charged with one count of Fourth Degree Assault after allegedly causing minor injury to Paul. The investigation is handled by the Kentucky State Police. Records show that Boucher is being held at the Warren County Detention Center.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Paul Was ‘Ambushed’ by Boucher While the Senator Was Mowing His Lawn

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Police have not described the exact circumstances around the assault. A statement from Paul’s office said, “Senator Paul was blindsided and the victim of an assault. The assailant was arrested and it now a matter for the police,” according to the Bowling Green Daily News. WAVE’s Jobina Fortson reports, quoting a neighbor, that Paul had been mowing his lawn when he was “ambushed” by Boucher.

Warren County Regional Jail

Boucher’s daughter, Danielle, is Facebook friends with Paul’s son, William. WAVE reports that Boucher and Paul are neighbors. The station adds in their report that the FBI is investigating to see if the attack was politically motivated. Although WAVE’s Jobina Fortson tweeted that neighbors are saying that Paul and Boucher “had an ongoing feud.” Online records show that Paul lives along Lakeside Way in Bowling Green.

2. Dr. Boucher Was a Pain Specialist & Invented a Rice Filled Vest that Is Used to Alleviate Back Pain

Facebook/Rene Boucher

Boucher is an anesthesiologist and pain specialist. He got his medical degree from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine after being pre-med at Providence College in Rhode Island, according to Doximity. Boucher has practiced medicine in since 1982 and attended high school in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Between 1985 and 1993, Boucher was pain management specialist at the Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco where he also did his residency.

In 2005, Boucher appeared on QVC marketing a rice-filled vest that was designed to alleviate back pain, reported the Bowling Green Daily News. The vest retailed at $30 and had to be microwaved before use. The website for Therm-a-Vest is no longer active. WAVE reports that Boucher retired in 2015.

3. Boucher Shared an Article on His Facebook Page About a Republican Congressman ‘Body Slamming’ a Reporter

In May 2017, Boucher shared a story on Facebook about Republican Congressman Greg Gianforte assaulting The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs in Bozeman, Montana. The assault was described as a “body slam” at the time. Boucher writes in his Facebook bio that he is in a relationship. The Bowling Green Daily News article about Boucher’s pain relieving vest saw him city his wife, Lisa, as a reason for its success. Boucher’s on, Evan, played in the first professional Ultimate Frisbee Championship game for San Francisco in Philadelphia in February 2016.

Boucher is a registered Democrat. Since Trump’s ascendency to the president, Boucher has been severely critical the GOP on Facebook. Boucher is shown to be an advocate for gun control and healthcare reform. There does not seem to be any posts that target Senator Paul.

4. Dr. Boucher Could Face a Year in Prison

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The Bowling Green Daily News reports that Boucher is being held at Warren County Regional Jail in lieu of a $5,000 bond. The report says that if convicted, Boucher could face a year in prison of the Class A misdemeanor. The Daily News report adds that Warren County Attorney Amy Milliken said Boucher could face extra charges, based on the injuries suffered by Paul.

5. Paul Has Recently Come in for Controversy After He Backed an Anti-Mitch McConnell Candidate in Arizona

Senator Paul has come in for criticism after he backed Arizona senatorial candidate Kelli Ward. Ward has openly said that Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell should step aside as the Senate Majority Leader. Ward said, “Leadership isn’t the most important part of this equation, it’s the policty that the people across the country want us to put in place. It’s the “America First” agenda.” While Paul said about Ward’s problems with McConnell, “I don’t think [Paul and Ward] have to agree on everything. I see a little different perspective coming from Kentucky and that being my fellow senator. But I do and have opposed leadership on a number of issues.”

Poster Comment:

Rand needs to get a shotgun scabbard for his lawnmower.