clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Adrian Peterson previously accused of abuse of another son, according to a report

Adrian Peterson is facing a charge of injury to a child after he was arrested for disciplining one of his sons with a switch. However, it wasn't the only time his discipline triggered an investigation, according to a report.

Hannah Foslien

Update: Peterson's lawyer Rusty Hardin issued a statement regarding the recent report. He said the allegation is more than a year old -- rather than a couple months -- and said there is an adult witness who insists Peterson did nothing inappropriate. Here is the full statement from Hardin:

"The allegation of another investigation into Adrian Peterson is simply not true. The allegation is more than one year old and authorities took no action. An adult witness admittedly insists Adrian did nothing inappropriate with his son."

★★★

Adrian Peterson was indicted for reckless or negligent injury to a child last week, due to the way he disciplined his 4-year-old son in May. Peterson has now been accused for his role in a similar incident in June, when another 4-year-old son allegedly suffered a head injury, according to a report from KHOU 11 News.

According to the report, Peterson told the mother of the child that the boy hit his head on a car seat while Peterson was disciplining him for swearing at a sibling. The mother reportedly filed a report with Child Protective Services, but no charges were ever filed. In the text messages allegedly between Peterson and the mother of the 4-year-old, the mother asked what Peterson hit the boy with, but Peterson did not respond directly. He said he felt bad but the boy "did it his self."

Peterson report 2

Peterson went on to say that, had the boy stayed still and taken a "whooping," he would have saved the scar.

Peterson report

Although no charges were filed in this instance, it could be used as evidence in the ongoing case involving the incident in May. According to the report, prosecutors can use the evidence from the June incident to show a pattern, such that the incident with the switch was not a one-time occurrence of possible abuse.