The Minnesota Vikings announced Monday that All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson, who was indicted on child injury charges last week, would be allowed to practice with the team and is expected to play in its next game on Sunday.
“This is a difficult path to navigate, and our focus is on doing the right thing,” the team’s owners said in a statement. “Currently we believe we are at a juncture where the most appropriate next step is to allow the judicial process to move forward.”
The Vikings deactivated Peterson for last Sunday’s game after he was indicted in Montgomery County, Texas, for reckless or negligent injury to a child. He allegedly hit his 4-year-old son with a switch over the summer, according to reports. A doctor who later examined the boy “told investigators that the boy had a number of lacerations on his thighs, along with bruise-like marks on his lower back and buttocks and cuts on his hand,” according to the CBS affiliate in Minneapolis.
“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,” Peterson’s Texas attorney Rusty Hardin said Friday.
The below statement is from owners Zygi and Mark Wilf.
Today’s decision was made after significant thought, discussion and consideration. As evidenced by our decision to deactivate Adrian from yesterday’s game, this is clearly a very important issue. On Friday, we felt it was in the best interests of the organization to step back, evaluate the situation, and not rush to judgment given the seriousness of this matter. At that time, we made the decision that we felt was best for the Vikings and all parties involved.
To be clear, we take very seriously any matter that involves the welfare of a child. At this time, however, we believe this is a matter of due process and we should allow the legal system to proceed so we can come to the most effective conclusions and then determine the appropriate course of action. This is a difficult path to navigate, and our focus is on doing the right thing. Currently we believe we are at a juncture where the most appropriate next step is to allow the judicial process to move forward.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely and support Adrian’s fulfillment of his legal responsibilities throughout this process.
