Man arrested over threats to kill Sen. Rand Paul

July 2 (UPI) -- Rand Paul thanked U.S. Capitol police Monday for arresting a man he said threatened to kill the senator and his family.

"Thank you to the U.S. Capitol Police for their arrest of the man who recently threatened to kill my family and me," tweeted Paul, a Kentucky Republican.

The man is accused of threatening to use an ax to slay the family, USA Today reported.

"It's just horrendous that we have to deal with things like this," Paul said.

The senator filed a civil lawsuit last month against Rene Boucher, a neighbor who attacked him in his front yard last year.

Boucher pleaded guilty to one felony count of assaulting a member of Congress resulting in personal injury in March for tackling Paul as he was mowing his lawn in November. Paul seeks damages for "physical pain and mental suffering" from the attack, in which he suffered five broken ribs and bruised lungs.

Paul was at a baseball field in Alexandria, Va., last year when James Hodgkinson opened fire on Republican members of Congress practicing for a charity baseball game against a Democratic team.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisana, was shot in the hip with a rifle, and two members of Capitol Hill police, a congressional staffer and lobbyist were also injured.

Hodgkinson was shot by police and later died from his wounds.

Paul was not injured in that attack.