EXCLUSIVE: Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen issues statement on Florida attack
Rick Allen, the drummer of Def Leppard, issued a statement exclusively to ABC News on Sunday in response to being violently assaulted in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last week.
"Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support. Your love and prayers are truly helping. My wife Lauren [Monroe] was thankfully not with me at the time of the incident. We are together now, and working on recovering in a safe space," the statement said, adding they are focused on "healing for everyone involved."
"We ask you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy," the statement continued. "We understand this act of violence can be triggering for so many people. To all of the fans, veterans and first responders in our global community, we are thinking of you all. Together with love, we can all get through these difficult times.
Police arrested Ohio teenager Max Hartley, 19, after he allegedly attacked the 59-year-old drummer outside of the Four Seasons in Fort Lauderdale on March 13, a day after the band played at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel, according to authorities.
Allen, who lost his arm in an accident in 1984 and has played the drums with one arm ever since, hit his head after Hartley allegedly came up from behind and threw him to the ground, according to a police report reviewed by ABC News.
A woman who reportedly tried to interfere in the incident was also allegedly attacked by Hartley, who began hitting her and dragging her by her hair, according to police.
Hartley was caught shortly after the incident and has since been charged with four counts of criminal mischief, a felony; one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of aggravated battery, according to a Fort Lauderdale police incident report.
ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.
