After being indicted by a grand jury on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child, a warrant was issued for Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson's arrest. He turned himself in to Montgomery County, Texas authorities on Saturday and was deactivated for Sunday's game against the Patriots.
Peterson was booked into the Montgomery County jail at 1:06 a.m. CT on Saturday and was released at 1:35 a.m. after posting $15,000 bail. Backup running back Matt Asiata started the team's game against New England in place of Peterson and totaled 84 yards with a touchdown in their 30-7 loss. There has yet to be an update on Peterson's status, but it's likely Asiata will remain the starter until further notice.
According to the police report, Peterson used a "switch" - a tree branch that he had removed the leaves from - to spank his son. The evidence that was provided to the grand jury showed cuts and bruises on his four-year-old son's back and thigh. As a result, the grand jury determined that the discipline exceeded what the community would say is reasonable. (In Texas, parents are permitted to discipline children within acceptable measures determined by the community.)
"This indictment follows Adrian's full cooperation with authorities who have been looking into this matter. Adrian is a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son," said Rusty Hardin, Peterson's attorney, in his statement, via this ESPN article. "He used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas. Adrian has never hidden from what happened."
Peterson will appear in court within the next few weeks, but the trial isn't expected to begin for another several months. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings say they are in the process of gathering information regarding Peterson's legal case and made the decision as an organization to deactivate him for Sunday's game because it was in "the best interest of everybody concerned," general manager Rick Spielman told ESPN. The NFL, whose laundry list just got longer, said it plans to review the case under the league's personal conduct policy before making a decision on whether or not to discipline Peterson.
After the alleged child abuse incident occurred in the spring, Peterson sent text messages to the boy's mother and told her what had happened. The Vikings running back has also fully cooperated with police throughout the entire process after a Minnesota doctor reported the alleged abuse to the police when the boy was taken in for examination by his mother.
It's unknown how the NFL or the Vikings will handle the situation, as the league is swamped with domestic violence issues and is finalizing the new drug policy that was agreed upon Friday.
UPDATE: The Minnesota Vikings announced on Monday that Peterson will return to practices and meetings this week and is expected to face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Team owners Zygi and Mark Wilf issued a statement and said they believe the legal process should play itself out before the team arrives at a definitive decision on the running back.
