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Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen attacked by Avon man outside Four Seasons hotel in Fort Lauderdale

1-armed drummer had been in South Florida for concert
Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen at Wentworth Gallery in Fort Lauderdale in 2019
Posted at 2:05 PM, Mar 20, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-20 14:28:57-04

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen was injured in a seemingly unprovoked attack last Monday near the valet section of the Four Seasons hotel in Fort Lauderdale.

Max Hartley, 19, of Avon, Ohio, was arrested on a charge of abuse to an elderly or disabled adult, according to a Fort Lauderdale police report from March 13.

According to the report, the victim was smoking a cigarette outside the hotel when Hartley, who was hiding behind a pole, charged at him, knocking him to the ground and injuring his head.

Although the victim's identity was redacted in the report, it states the victim "lost his left arm in a traffic accident in 1984."

Allen, whose left arm was amputated after a Christmas Eve crash in 1984, was in South Florida for a concert with Def Leppard and Motley Crue the night before at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood.

According to the report, Hartley also attacked a woman who tried to help the victim before getting away.

Police said Hartley was arrested a short distance away after he was seen damaging numerous vehicles in the parking garage of another hotel.

In one of several 911 calls released by police, a caller described the suspect as "very highly intoxicated."

According to the report, the victim in the attack "expressed his desire for prosecution."