Def Leppard Drummer Rick Allen Addresses Florida Assault and Head Injury Recovery

etonline.com:

Def Leppard, is addressing a recent frightening incident in which he was attacked outside a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Allen was assaulted last Monday while smoking a cigarette outside the Four Seasons Hotel and was knocked down, where he subsequently struck his head on the ground.On Sunday, Allen released a statement to sharing a message of gratitude for fans who have reached out to share their love and well wishes.«Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support.

Your love and prayers are truly helping,» Allen shared. «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.»Allen's statement added that they are focused on and hoping for «healing for everyone involved.»«We ask you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy,» Allen 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.»According to a police report released by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department on Thursday, Allen -- who lost his left arm in a car accident in 1984 -- suffered a head injury when he was assaulted.Max Edward Hartley, a 19-year-old Ohio resident visiting Florida, was arrested and charged with two counts of battery, four counts of criminal mischief, and a count of abusing an elderly or disabled adult.Hartley allegedly also assaulted another woman who attempted to come to Allen's aid after he was struck.According to the police report, Hartley allegedly knocked the woman to the ground as well before hitting her.