Watch CBS News

Texas Grand Jury Indicts Adrian Peterson For Injury To A Child

Update: September 13, 9 am - Adrian Peterson has been booked and released following his indictment for negligent injury to a child charges.

Peterson was booked into the Montgomery County Texas Jail around 1:15am Saturday. He was allowed in through a side entrance, presumably by a Montgomery County Sheriffs Dept employee.

Peterson posted $15,000 bond and posed for a mugshot. The whole process took about 30 minutes.

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - CBSDFW.COM has now confirmed through multiple sources the indictment of Minnesota Vikings star player Adrian Peterson.

Friday afternoon we learned a grand jury indicted Peterson, charging him with negligent injury to a child.

♦♦♦ More Details from CBS Houston ♦♦♦

Police say the running back said, in his own words, that he "whooped" his 4-year-old son with a switch earlier this year.

After news of the indictment broke, the Vikings de-activated Peterson for this Sunday's game against the Patriots.

The team issued a statement that said:

"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."

CBS Sports Radio 6-10 in Houston has obtained photographs from Houston police. They show Peterson's son had a number of cuts on his legs and thighs.

Police say the injuries occurred while the child was in Texas, in May. Peterson's son was visiting him during that time.

When the boy was returned to his mother in Eden Prairie, Minnesota she took him to a doctor.

According to police, the 4-year-old told the doctor that Peterson had punished him for pushing his brother off a bike by hitting him with a switch (a small branch from a tree.)

There is apparently another picture from that police report where investigators say Peterson is demonstrating the kind of switch he used.

The doctor who checked Peterson's son later told investigators the boy had about 10 cuts on his thighs, bruise-like marks on his lower back and buttocks, and also cuts on his hands.

The doctor described some of the marks as "open wounds." Another examiner called the cuts "extensive."

When investigators questioned Peterson, they say he told them it was normal spanking and not excessive.

A grand jury seated earlier this summer decided not to charge him.

But today, a grand jury indicted Peterson in the child abuse investigation.

Peterson's lawyer Rusty Hardin released a statement saying:

"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."

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Latest News:

Top Trending:

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.