Miami Herald

Police: Spring breaker attacks Def Leppard drummer

- BY DEVOUN CETOUTE dcetoute@miamiheral­d.com Devoun Cetoute: 305-376-2026, @devoun_cetoute

Max Hartley came to South Florida to enjoy a spring break vacation — but he left facing a criminal charge for allegedly beating Def Leppard’s drummer and a woman earlier this week in Fort Lauderdale.

Sam Halpern, Hartley’s lawyer, described the 19-year-old as a nice guy despite the actions detailed in 911 calls and an arrest report.

“He’s an extremely sweet young man,” Halpern said. “He’s never been in trouble with the law before.”

Hartley, of Avon, Ohio, was an all-around athlete in high school before entering college, playing football, rugby and recreation­al league basketball.

“He was regarded highly with close family and friends for years,” Halpern added.

When he got to Fort Lauderdale, however, police say he assaulted two people — with a bystander describing the young man

as intoxicate­d during the incident.

Halpern did not comment on what provoked the attacks nor whether Rick Allen being a member of Def Leppard played any part.

On Monday, Hartley rushed a man at full speed who was smoking a cigarette in the valet section of the Four Seasons Hotel,

525 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., an arrest report read.

He knocked over the man, whose head hit the ground.

The 59-year-old’s condition is unknown. He was in town performing with Mötley Crüe on Sunday at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood.

According to the report, an unidentifi­ed woman came to help Allen, but Hartley pushed her over and she, too, hit her head. He then allegedly dragged her back outside the hotel when she tried to escape into the lobby.

Callers to 911 said they apprehende­d Hartley after he tried to break a restaurant’s window by throwing chairs.

One caller said he seemed “very highly intoxicate­d.”

Allen lost his left arm in a car accident in the early 1980s. He then learned to play the drums using his right arm and both feet, which control two drum pedals.

The incident near Fort Lauderdale beach came as police had started to take precaution­s to prevent any spring break trouble.

From March 3 through April 2, the city prohibits alcohol, tents, scooters, coolers and unauthoriz­ed vendors on parts of its beach — from the 900 block of Seabreeze north to the 1700 block of North A1A.

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