The Kentucky physician who allegedly attacked Sen. Rand Paul, MD, R-Ky., pleaded not guilty to fourth-degree assault charges during a court appearance Thursday, ABC News reports.
Police said Rene Boucher, DO, allegedly attacked Dr. Paul, his next-door neighbor for 17 years, just after 3 p.m. Nov. 3. The senator had reportedly been wearing noise-cancelling headphones just prior to the incident and did not hear Dr. Boucher approaching, an anonymous Kentucky Congressman and a second source close to Dr. Paul told The New York Times Tuesday.
While various media reports suggested the incident may have stemmed from a dispute over landscaping issues, it is unclear what led to the alleged attack. A lawyer on behalf of Dr. Boucher said Nov. 6 the altercation had "absolutely nothing to do with either [individual's] politics or political agendas. It was a very regrettable dispute between two neighbors over a matter that most people would regard as trivial."
Dr. Paul tweeted an update of his condition Wednesday, stating a final medical report determined he had six broken ribs and a pleural effusion as a result of the incident.