NFL running back Adrian Peterson was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday and charged with domestic violence after he allegedly struck his wife, Ashley Peterson, while on a flight headed out of LAX.
Since his arrest, both Peterson and his wife have claimed it was a mere verbal dispute and that the future Hall of Fame running back did not strike her.
In fact, Mrs. Peterson took to social media with those claims.
“On Sunday, Adrian and I had a verbal argument. Unfortunately, it was on an airplane. At no point did Adrian hit or strike me. This is a private matter between my husband and myself. We ask that everyone respect our privacy so we can focus on what matters most: our children.”
Ashley Peterson on Instagram (February 15, 2022)
For his part, Peterson will not face felony charges stemming from the incident.
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office has decided that it will not charge Peterson with a crime after he was arrested on what would have been felony DV charges.
Despite that, the case could still head to the Los Angeles City Attorney, who could opt to bring misdemeanor domestic violence charges against Adrian Peterson.
A first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings back in 2007, the 36-year-old has found himself in the news for the wrong reasons throughout his career.
That included the former Oklahoma star being indicted by a grand jury back in 2014 on reckless or negligent injury to a child after he allegedly used a “switch” to punish his child. Peterson ultimately avoided jail time after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of recklessly assaulting his son.
On the field, Peterson is one of the top running backs in modern NFL history. He has recorded eight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and ranks fifth in NFL history with 14,918 rushing yards.
The seven-time Pro Bowler spent time with the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks last season. It remains to be seen if he’ll return for a 16th season in the NFL.
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