Peterson benched after surrendering in child abuse case

Adrian Peterson turned himself in early Saturday morning, FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer reported, after authorities in Texas issued an arrest warrant for the star Minnesota Vikings running back on a charge of child abuse for using a branch to spank his son.

Peterson surrendered to authorities in Montgomery County and was released on a $21,000 bond, according to Glazer.

However, Peterson has been benched for Sunday's game against New England.

Peterson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, said that the charge accuses Peterson of using a branch, or switch, to spank one of his sons, whose age was not disclosed but was widely reported to be 4 years old. Hardin said Peterson has cooperated with authorities and didn't mean any harm.

"Adrian is a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son. He used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in East Texas," Hardin said Friday.

"Adrian has never hidden from what happened. He has cooperated fully with authorities and voluntarily testified before the grand jury for several hours," he said. "Adrian will address the charges with the same respect and responsiveness he has brought to this inquiry from its beginning. It is important to remember that Adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury."

Injuries sustained by Adrian Peterson's son.Photo: Houston Police Dept.

The Vikings, about an hour after issuing a statement acknowledging the case, said Peterson would be on the inactive list for their home opener against New England. Houston police and authorities in Montgomery and Harris counties declined comment.
WCCO, the CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, has some of the unsettling details. Peterson apparently admitted to police he did "whoop" the boy with a switch, and the report described the boy's injuries:

The doctor told investigators that the boy had a number of lacerations on his thighs, along with bruise-like marks on his lower back and buttocks and cuts on his hand.
The police report says the doctor described some of the marks as open wounds and termed it "child abuse." Another examiner agreed, calling the cuts "extensive."

The incident reportedly happened in May, when the boy was visiting Peterson at his home in The Woodlands, a Houston suburb. FOX 26 in Houston, which originally reported the incident, said the charge was for "reckless and negligent" injury to a child.

Another Houston affiliate reports that Peterson told the boy's mother he "felt bad" for some of the injuries he caused but denied going "overboard." However, the boy reportedly told authorities some disturbing details, including that "Daddy Peterson hit me on my face."

Peterson reportedly told police, "To be honest with you, I feel very confident with my actions because I know my intent," and said he'd reconsider using a switch but wouldn't "eliminate whooping my kids."

The child abuse charge comes almost a year after Peterson suffered the death of a 2-year-old son.

Last October, not long after finding out that he had a 2-year-old son living in South Dakota, Peterson rushed to the hospital after authorities said the boy was brutally beaten by his mother's boyfriend. The boy died, and 28-year-old Joseph Robert Patterson is scheduled to go on trial next month on second-degree murder charges in the case.

Peterson is in his eighth season, all of them with the Vikings. Widely considered the best running back in the league, he has rushed for 10,190 yards and 86 touchdowns in his career.

The allegations against one of the NFL's biggest stars came during a week in which the NFL has been under heavy criticism and scrutiny for the way it handled a domestic violence case involving former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and his then-fiancee. Commissioner Roger Goodell initially suspended Rice for two games, but he was suspended indefinitely this week after a longer version of security video surfaced showing Rice punching her in the face.

Critics are also closely watching how the league proceeds in the cases of Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy and Ray McDonald of the San Francisco 49ers, both still playing with domestic abuse cases pending. Hardy was convicted July 15 of assaulting a woman and communicating threats, but is appealing. San Jose police are still investigating an Aug. 31 incident involving McDonald.

The NFL didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Peterson's situation.

Peterson did not practice on Thursday because of what coach Mike Zimmer called a "veteran day," allowing experienced players to rest, but Peterson was at the team facility that day and spoke to reporters about the upcoming game against the Patriots.

He returned to practice on Friday and was in the locker room following the workout with the rest of his teammates for lunch. Shortly thereafter, Peterson posted a message on his Twitter account that said in part: "It's your season! Weapons may form but won't prosper! God has you covered don't stress or worry!"

A man who identified himself as Peterson's uncle, Chris Peterson, answered the door at the running back's home in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and said Peterson wasn't there and that the family had no comment.

Peterson grew up in little Palestine, Texas. When he was 7, his 8-year-old brother Brian was riding his bicycle when he was killed by a drunk driver. Years later, his half-brother, Chris Paris, was shot and killed the night before Peterson worked out for scouts and coaches at the NFL combine.

His mother, Bonita Jackson, was a former Olympic sprinting hopeful and his father, Nelson Peterson, spent eight years behind bars for laundering drug money yet still managed to be a positive influence on his son's life.

"I told him to always introduce himself, look a man in the eye, give him a firm handshake and say, `I'm Adrian Peterson,'" Nelson said at the Pro Bowl in 2009. "Respect others. That will take you a long way in life."

Adrian Peterson in the 2012 season.Photo:

Peterson rushed for 2,960 yards and 32 touchdowns during his senior season at Palestine High School, then racked up an NCAA freshman record 1,925 yards in his freshman season at Oklahoma in 2004.

Peterson is in his eighth NFL season, all of them with the Vikings. Widely considered the best running back in the league, he has rushed for 10,190 yards and 86 touchdowns in his career.

Hardin, the defense attorney, is a familiar name in sports circles. He successfully defended Roger Clemens in his recent perjury trial over the alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs and two years ago represented Los Angeles Lakers forward Jordan Hill, who was sentenced to one year of probation after pleading no contest to assaulting his former girlfriend.

He has worked with Peterson before, too: In 2012, he said Peterson was the victim after the player was charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest following an incident at a Houston nightclub.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Fox Sports.

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