Joseph Robert Patterson, the man accused of beating Adrian Peterson's two-year-old son was charged with murder.
Patterson was reportedly dating the child's mother and was home alone watching the little boy while she was away. He called 911 saying the child was choking but when ambulance arrived they found the toddler's injuries were consistent with abuse.
"The injuries they found were head injuries," police spokesman Sam Clemens said in a statement. "It was obvious to medical staff that abuse had taken place and that those injuries weren't accidental."
According to TMZ, Patterson was charged with second degree murder and two counts of first degree manslaughter, as well as aggravated battery of an infant. If Patterson is charged he could face a mandatory life sentence.
The 27-year-old had a history of child abuse and domestic violence. Reportedly Patterson beat a child in the past but was never sent to jail for his actions, the Argus Leader reports. In 2012, he was indicted on several counts of simple assault involving a former girlfriend and her young son. The woman claims Patterson beat her son so bad she had to ice his butt to make the welts go down.
When she approached him about hitting her son, the woman said Patterson threatened to kill her. She ended up seeking an order of protection against Patterson but he got into trouble for violating it. As part of a plea deal he was sentenced to only a year in jail but was able to skip serving time if he committed to going to domestic violence counseling.
Peterson, who plays for the Minnesota Vikings, only learned about the boy two or three months ago. Sources told TMZ that he was making plans to visit the child in Sioux Falls, S.D. where he lived with the mother but when he learned about the incident he dropped everything and jetted over to the hospital.
Peterson met his son for the first time in the hospital. According to reports the running back was excused from practice recently to attend the funeral.
