Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson Indictment in Child Injury Case … Warrant Issued for His Arrest (Update: Peterson Booked on Child Abuse Charge, Posts Bond)

AND ANOTHER BLACK EYE FOR THE NFL …

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been indicted in Montgomery County, Texas  for reckless or negligent injury to a child. The indictment is in regards to Peterson hitting his 4 year old son this past summer with a branch, referred to as a switch, as a form of punishment. Peterson states that this is how he was punished as a child. A grand jury seated earlier this summer decided not to charge Peterson with a crime. However, that was not the case with the new one. According to accounts, the incident resulted in multiple injuries to the child. The boy lives with his mother in Minnesota but was on a visit to Texas several months ago when Peterson disciplined him with the switch.  Peterson was taken into custody at 1 a.m. Saturday in Montgomery County, Texas, and was released on $15,000 bond, according to NFL.com. If convicted, Adrian Peterson could face two years in prison.

Adrian Peterson has been deactivated by the Vikings and will not play this Sunday against the New England Patriots.

VIDEO – CBS Minnesota

According to law-enforcement sources, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson beat his 4-year-old son with a tree branch as a form of punishment this summer, an incident that allegedly resulted in multiple injuries to the child. According to reports, Peterson has been indicted in Montgomery County, Texas for injury to a child.

The “whooping” – as Peterson put it when interviewed by police – occurred in Spring, Texas, in May. Peterson’s son had pushed another one of Peterson’s children off of a motorbike video game. As punishment, Peterson grabbed a tree branch – which he consistently referred to as a “switch” – removed the leaves and struck the child repeatedly.

The beating allegedly resulted in numerous injuries to the child, including cuts and bruises to the child’s back, buttocks, ankles, legs and scrotum, along with defensive wounds to the child’s hands. Peterson then texted the boy’s mother, saying that one wound in particular would make her “mad at me about his leg. I got kinda good wit the tail end of the switch.”

Statements Issued by Peterson’s attorney, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and and Minnesota Vikings.

Adrian Peterson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin later released the following statement:

Adrian Peterson has been informed that he was indicted by a grand jury in Montgomery County, Texas for Injury to a Child. The charged conduct involves using a switch to spank his son. 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. 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. He has cooperated fully with authorities and voluntarily testified before the grand jury for several hours. 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.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement on Friday evening:

On Thursday, September 11, 2014, a Montgomery County Grand Jury, “true billed”, Adrian Lewis Peterson on a charge of injury to a child. On today’s date at 2:47 PM, a warrant was issued and entered for the arrest of Adrian Peterson for that charge.

Since the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has referred the case to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, and the investigation has led to a, “true bill”, on a criminal offense, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will not discuss details in reference to the case or investigation.

At the time of this release, Adrian Peterson is not in custody at the Montgomery County Jail and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office does not have any details in the arrest of Adrian Peterson.

Peterson’s team, the Vikings, released the following statement on Friday evening:

The Vikings are in the process of gathering information regarding the legal situation involving Adrian Peterson. At this time, we will defer further questions to Adrian’s attorney Rusty Hardin.

UPDATE I: Warrant issued for arrest of Vikings’ Adrian Peterson after indictment alleging injury to child

One of the darkest weeks in NFL history took another disturbing twist Friday when a warrant was issued in Texas for the arrest of Adrian Peterson, the face of the Vikings, over his treatment of one of his children.

Peterson faces an indictment accusing him of reckless or negligent injury to a child stemming from Peterson’s decision earlier this year to discipline his 4-year-old son by beating him with a ‘‘switch.’’

The Vikings responded by quickly deactivating Peterson for Sunday’s home opener against New England at TCF Bank Stadium. Peterson will surrender to Houston police, his attorney said.

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UPDATE II: Adrian Peterson Booked on Child Abuse Charge, Posts Bond.

Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson turned himself in to Montgomery County, Texas, authorities early Saturday morning.

He was booked into the Montgomery County jail at 1:06 a.m. CT and released at 1:35 a.m. CT after posting the $15,000 bond.