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Man who tackled Rand Paul says he wasn't thinking rationally

Posted at 5:53 PM, Jan 29, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-29 17:53:02-05

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — The man who tackled U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and broke several of his ribs has told a Kentucky jury that he wasn't thinking rationally when he slammed into the senator in 2017.

An apologetic Rene Boucher testified Tuesday that it was "two minutes of my life I wish I could take back."

Boucher was called to the witness stand by Paul's attorney on the second day of trial in Paul's lawsuit against his neighbor. The Republican senator is seeking up to $500,000 in compensatory damages and up to $1 million in punitive damages.

Boucher pleaded guilty to assaulting a member of Congress and was sentenced to 30 days behind bars.

Boucher says he attacked Paul because the senator was creating a pile of yard debris near their property line in a Bowling Green subdivision.