Three broken ribs that shouldn't have been broken. Breaking bones is serious enough. Pushing and yelling only may not be so serious. Attacking someone is. The neighbor will most certainly end up with anger management classes in his future, fines, jail time. 

The lawyer hopes they can quickly get back to being neighbors, and he said it, I think, because he knows that outcome is highly in doubt. He also states there's no political motivations, and if not, fair enough. But the truth will come out, either way.