Adrian Peterson is charged with negligent physical abuse of a child. The Vikings have allowed Peterson to play this week, although further investigation and legal process will take place.
Last Friday Adrian Peterson, who is the running back for the Minnesota Vikings, was indicted with charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child. Peterson is being charged with an incident that occurred back in May, when he physically disciplined a child.
According to the NFL, "A warrant was issued for Peterson's arrest, the Montgomery County (Texas) Sheriff's Office said in a release. Peterson was taken into custody Saturday morning in Montgomery County at 1:06 a.m. CT, NFL Media confirmed with jail personnel. After meeting all the court order criteria on the warrant, Peterson was subsequently released on $15,000 bond. He returned to Minnesota later Saturday."
The Vikings would not allow Peterson to play in Sunday's game against the New England Patriots, which they lost.
This Monday, the Vikings activated Peterson, allowing him to both practice with the team and participate in this week's game.
Rick Spielman, General Manager for the Vikings, said Monday afternoon, "This is a very important issue and I want to take time to emphasize that the issue of child welfare is extremely serious and should be taken serious not only by us, but by everybody. We are trying to do the right thing, this is a difficult path to navigate regarding the judgment of how a parent disciplines his child."
He continued, "Based on the extensive information that we have right now and what we know about Adrian, not only as a person, but what he has also done for this community, we believe he deserves to play while the legal process plays out."
Some criticized that the Vikings are inconsistent with punishment of players for issues outside of football, according to NFL. The Vikings denied such practices.
There is still needed investigation and due process for Peterson's case. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely and support Adrian's fulfillment of his legal responsibilities throughout this process," said Vikings' owner Mark Wilf.
