Def Leppard’s one-armed drummer Rick Allen suffered a head injury after cops say he was violently assaulted by a teenager in an apparent sneak attack at a South Florida hotel.
According to an arrest report, obtained by TMZ, Allen was puffing on a cigarette as the suspect was lying in wait behind a pole outside the Four Seasons Hotel in Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Police say the teen suspect, Max Hartley, then ran toward Allen at full speed, striking him and knocking him backward and slamming his head on the ground.
The report says a woman came out of the hotel to try to help Allen, but Hartley also knocked her to the ground.
The woman got up and tried to run back into the hotel, but cops say Hartley grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back outside.
Hartley fled to another hotel nearby, but was ultimately arrested after he allegedly damaged numerous cars in a parking garage. The 19-year-old was booked for elder abuse, battery and criminal mischief. He was later released after posting bail.
Def Leppard and their 59-year-old drummer are in South FL to co-headline a Sunday concert with Mötley Crüe at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
You might recall … Allen’s left arm was severed in a 1984 car accident. Doctors initially reattached his limb, but then had to amputate it because of an infection. Using his right arm and both feet, Allen has continued on as the band’s drummer.
We reached out to Def Leppard’s reps for an update on Rick’s condition … so far no word back.
