Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen says he is recovering from an assault outside a Florida hotel earlier this month.
Allen, who was in South Florida to perform a show at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, was attacked while taking a smoke break outside the Four Seasons Hotel on Fort Lauderdale’s beach.
Police arrested a 19-year-old man but said they had no motive for the attack. They did not identify the suspect or Allen in the police report.
But in a social media post, Allen, 59, said he was grateful for all the support he’s received from those fans. He said he was also relieved his wife Lauren was not with him when the incident happened and that they are now “working to recover in a safe room.”
Police said the attacker hid behind a pillar outside the hotel while Allen smoked a cigarette. The man ran towards Allen and threw him to the ground.
According to the police report, a woman saw Allen fall and ran to his aid, whereupon the man attacked her.
The man then ran to another hotel and began smashing car windows until he was stopped by witnesses and police arrived. He was arrested and charged with two counts of assault, four counts of criminal mischief and molestation of an elderly or disabled adult.
Allen lost his left arm in an accident in 1984.
In a photo posted to Instagram, Allen wore a blue Fort Lauderdale police t-shirt.