Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen opens up about attack that left him 'totally blindsided'

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen is sharing more details about the violent attack he suffered in March.

Allen, 59, spoke to "Good Morning America" in an interview broadcast Monday, his first since the Florida attack.

"I heard a couple of steps and then I just saw this dark flash, and the next thing I knew was I was on the ground," Allen said of the incident. "I landed on my backside – hit my head on the pavement."

Fearing he would be attacked a second time, Allen said he told his attacker: "I am no threat to you."

"I don't think he knew who I was, but he must have seen that I wasn't a threat because, you know, I've only got one arm," the drummer said. Allen lost his left arm after a 1984 car crash, and has been drumming with one arm since.

Rick Allen attack: Def Leppard drummer says he was attacked outside Florida hotel in March

Police arrested 19-year-old Ohio teenager Max Hartley and charged him with felony assault for the alleged attack. The suspect allegedly attacked a woman who tried to help Allen, according to the police report.

Hartley pleaded not guilty to two counts of battery and four counts of criminal mischief, according to court records. Police said they haven’t determined a motive.

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Speaking to "Good Morning America" Monday, Allen's wife Lauren Monroe shared how the family responded to the attack. "My heart just completely sank into me," Monroe said. "Everything stopped in our house and focused on (Allen)."

Allen and Monroe have been married since 2003. In 2001, the pair founded the Raven Drum Foundation to help trauma survivors, with a focus on veterans and first responders.

Allen also described how grateful he was for his family's support. "I immediately just went to that place of just feeling grateful for the fact that I have an amazing wife and an incredible family and I just started thanking a higher power for the fact that I'm still here," he told "GMA."

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Allen shared his gratitude for his supporters on social media shortly following the ttack. On March 19, the drummer posted on Facebook, "Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support."

"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," he added.

Allen is already returning to performing: Def Leppard are slated to perform for a crowd of 44,000 Monday in their hometown of Sheffield, England.

"I know that I'm not going to be playing music in a band forever," Allen ended his "GMA" interview. "But while I am, I plan on making as many people happy as I possibly can. And this is my time. This is my opportunity."

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rick Allen attack: Def Leppard drummer opens up in 1st interview