Rand Paul recovering from 5 fractured ribs following assault

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has five rib fractures, including three displaced fractures, and is in too much pain to fly back to Washington, D.C., following an altercation on Friday with a neighbor at his home in Kentucky, Paul's chief strategist said Sunday.

In a statement, Doug Stafford said the type of injury Paul sustained "is caused by high velocity severe force. It is not clear exactly how soon he will return to work, as the pain is considerable as is the difficulty in getting around, including flying." He also said Paul has lung contusions, and displaced rib fractures can lead to pneumonia, internal bleeding, and laceration of internal organs.

Authorities said Paul's neighbor in Bowling Green, Rene Boucher, tackled Paul from behind Friday while he was mowing his lawn, and Paul had difficulty breathing and cuts around his mouth. It's unclear what triggered the assault. Boucher has been charged with one count of fourth-degree assault, and if found guilty of this misdemeanor, could face up to one year in prison.

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