Man Accused of Threatening to Kill Rand Paul, Family with Ax

A man accused of threatening to kill Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and his family members by dismembering them with an ax has been arrested.

Paul addressed the threats against him and his family in a Monday tweet, thanking the U.S. Capitol Police for promptly arresting the man:

The man, who is in custody, allegedly placed the threatening phone calls to the senator’s Bowling Green office several times last week, the Courier-Journal reported.

Capitol Police are actively investigating the situation but did not comment further.

Paul also addressed this and other threats against him at an event in Leitchfield, Kentucky, on Monday, calling for more ways to settle political differences.

“It’s just horrendous that we’re having to deal with things like this,” said Paul. “I’ve had this year where it’s becoming more and more aware that we have these real threats out there.”

The threat against Paul and his family is the latest of a series of threats and attacks against the Kentucky senator during the past year.

In November, Paul suffered six broken ribs after his neighbor, Rene Albert Boucher, 59, attacked him while he was mowing his lawn. Boucher, a registered Democrat and retired doctor, was sentenced to 30 days in prison for attacking the senator in a dispute about yard debris.

Paul was also on the practice field in northern Virginia when gunman James Hodgkinson opened fire on Republican congressmen practicing for the annual Congressional Baseball Game in Washington, DC, in June 2017. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and several congressional staffers were wounded in the incident.