By Chris Tomasson
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Adrian Peterson’s lawyer said Monday night that a new child-abuse allegation in Texas regarding a different Peterson son is “simply not true.”
A Houston television station, KHOU, Ch. 11, first reported an alleged separate incident involving another of Peterson’s sons. The Vikings running back was indicted last week on a charge of hitting a different son, 4, in May with a tree branch.
TMZ reported the alleged other incident happened in June 2013 with another son who then was 4, and Peterson has been cleared by authorities because the boy hit his head on a car seat while being disciplined by Peterson.
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“The allegation of another investigation into Adrian Peterson is simply not true,” Rusty Hardin, Peterson’s lawyer, said in a statement. “This is not a new allegation, it’s one that is unsubstantiated and was shopped around to authorities in two states over a year ago and nothing came of it. An adult witness adamantly insists Adrian did nothing inappropriate with his son. There is no ongoing or new investigation.”
After Peterson was indicted Friday, the Vikings deactivated him for Sunday’s 30-7 loss to New England at TCF Bank Stadium. On Monday, the team announced that Peterson will play this week’s game in New Orleans.
According to KHOU’s web site, the latest allegation came when another Peterson son was visiting his father in Texas from out of state. A photo, allegedly texted by Peterson to the boy’s mother, shows a head wound to the boy covered by two bandages. Additional photos, allegedly taken weeks later, reveal a scar over the boy’s right eye.
Nelson Peterson, the running back’s father, told the Pioneer Press he knows nothing about the allegation. He was asked if he was surprised hearing about KHOU’s report.
“Yeah,” Nelson Peterson said. “I don’t know. It’s never going to stop. That’s something that we’ll have to live with. It’s just one thing after another.”
The Vikings did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Pioneer Press is a media partner with Forum News Service.
