Bottle Hits Singer: William Lewis, 19, Arrested For Injuring Toots & The Maytals Singer, Frederick Hibbert [VIDEO]
A Toots & the Maytals reggae concert ended abruptly this weekend after a teenage concertgoer threw a vodka bottle on stage, hitting the band’s lead singer, Fredrick “Toots” Hibbert, 67, in the head.
Hibbert's band was performing on Saturday night at the Dominion Riverrock festival. He was taken to a Richmond, Va., hospital, where he received several stitches, according to local CBS-television affiliate WTVR. After the bottle-throwing incident, the band's set was cut short by 38 minutes and ended at 10:30 p.m.
Police have arrested William Lewis, 19, and charged him with public intoxication and a felony count of aggravated assault.
Riverrock staff member Lisa Sims said an inventory check showed one bottle of vodka was missing from the venue before the performance, but that officials are unsure it was the one hurled at Hibbert.
“There are bag checks regularly. You can’t just bring a big backpack full of stuff,” Sims said, adding that the venue is reviewing its security procedures.
On Monday, the band thanked fans for an outpouring of support and confirmed Hibbert had received some stitches and was recovering after a period of rest. “Toots would like to thank all his friends, fans and family who have reached out to him since the bottle throwing incident in Richmond Saturday night … Being that solider that he is he will hopefully be able to continue the tour," a message on the band's official Facebook page said.
Video footage of the incident shows someone in the crowd throwing a bottle toward the stage, hitting Hibbert on the forehead while he was singing a cover of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Hibbert can be seen grabbing his head and moving downstage before throwing his microphone on the ground and exiting. The assault occurs around the 4:25 mark.
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