Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen took to Twitter on Sunday to thank fans for their support following a violent assault last week in south Florida.
The 59-year-old musician was having a smoke outside the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences in Fort Lauderdale on March 13 when a young man rushed at him and knocked him to the ground.
Allen hit his head on the pavement. A woman who tried to help him was also assaulted.
Police arrested 19-year-old Max Edward Hartley of Ohio and charged him with two counts of battery, four counts of criminal mischief and "abusing an elderly or disabled adult without great harm.”
According to the police report, Allen provided “a sworn recorded statement and expressed his desire for prosecution.” But, his tweets suggest he may be forgiving.
“Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support,” Allen tweeted. “Your love and prayers are truly helping. My wife Lauren was thankfully not with me at the time of the incident. We are together now, and working on recovering in a safe space.
“We are focusing on healing for everyone involved. We ask you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy. We understand this act of violence can be triggering for so many people.”
Allen added: “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.”
Def Leppard was in south Florida for a concert with Mötley Crüe at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino the previous night. It is not clear if the suspect knew Allen is a member of the band.