The 2-year-old son of reigning National Football League MVP Adrian Peterson died Friday after he was the victim of an alleged assault, the Argus Leader reported.
Police in Sioux Falls, S.D. charged 27-year-old Joseph Robert Patterson, the boyfriend to the mother of the child, with aggravated assault and aggravated battery on the still-unnamed son of the Minnesota Vikings star.
Patterson called 911 on Wednesday to tell authorities that the boy was choking, but according to the Argus Leader, “it became clear at the hospital that the boy’s injuries were not accidental.”
Peterson used his Twitter account on Friday to thank supporters for their condolences:
Thank you to my family, my fans and fans of other teams for their support.
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) October 11, 2013
The NFL is a fraternity of brothers and I am thankful for the tweets, phone calls and text messages from my fellow players.
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) October 11, 2013
God Bless everyone and thank u so much.
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) October 11, 2013
This post has been updated.
