Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who was indicted today for injury to a child, reportedly admitted that he hit his 4-year-old son with a switch, causing cuts and bruises.
Nick Wright of 610-AM in Houston reports that Peterson told police he gave his son a “whooping” in a May incident in Spring, Texas. According to the report, Peterson said he did it to punish the child for pushing another one of Peterson’s children while they were playing a video game. The report says Peterson grabbed a tree branch, removed the leaves and struck the 4-year-old repeatedly.
The child’s injuries reportedly included cuts and bruises to the child’s back, buttocks, ankles, legs and scrotum, along with defensive wounds to the child’s hands. According to the report, Peterson texted the boy’s mother and acknowledged what he had done and that she would be “mad at me about his leg. I got kinda good wit the tail end of the switch.”
Peterson also allegedly texted the child’s mother that he “felt bad after the fact when I notice the switch was wrapping around hitting I [sic] thigh. . . . Got him in nuts once I noticed. But I felt so bad, n I’m all tearing that butt up when needed! I start putting them in timeout. N save the whooping for needed memories!”
According to the report, the child told authorities, “Daddy Peterson hit me on my face” and said he feared Peterson would punch him in the face if he found out police knew about the incident.
The boy’s mother reportedly took him to a doctor, who reported the injuries to authorities, saying they were consistent with child abuse.