Bear Down Wildcats

By: Nick Wright

According to law-enforcement sources, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson beat his 4-year-old son with a tree branch as a form of punishment this summer, an incident that allegedly resulted in multiple injuries to the child. According to reports, Peterson has been indicted in Montgomery County, Texas for injury to a child.

The “whooping” – as Peterson put it when interviewed by police – occurred in Spring, Texas, in May. Peterson’s son had pushed another one of Peterson’s children off of a motorbike video game. As punishment, Peterson grabbed a tree branch – which he consistently referred to as a “switch” – removed the leaves and struck the child repeatedly.

The beating allegedly resulted in numerous injuries to the child, including cuts and bruises to the child’s back, buttocks, ankles, legs and scrotum, along with defensive wounds to the child’s hands. Peterson then texted the boy’s mother, saying that one wound in particular would make her “mad at me about his leg. I got kinda good wit the tail end of the switch.”

Peterson also allegedly said via text message to the child’s mother that he “felt bad after the fact when I notice the switch was wrapping around hitting I (sic) thigh” and also acknowledged the injury to the child’s scrotum in a text message, saying, “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!”

In further text messages, Peterson allegedly said, “Never do I go overboard! But all my kids will know, hey daddy has the biggie heart but don’t play no games when it comes to acting right.”

According to police reports, the child, however, had a slightly different story, telling authorities that “Daddy Peterson hit me on my face.” The child also expressed worry that Peterson would punch him in the face if the child reported the incident to authorities. He also said that he had been hit by a belt and that “there are a lot of belts in Daddy’s closet.” He added that Peterson put leaves in his mouth when he was being hit with the switch while his pants were down. The child told his mother that Peterson “likes belts and switches” and “has a whooping room.”

Peterson, when contacted by police, admitted that he had “whooped” his son on the backside with a switch as a form of punishment, and then, in fact, produced a switch similar to the one with which he hit the child. Peterson also admitted that he administered two different “whoopings” to his son during the visit to Texas, the other being a punishment for the 4-year-old scratching the face of a 5-year-old.

In an interview with Houston police, Peterson was very matter-of-fact and calm about the incident, appearing to believe he had done nothing wrong and reiterating how much he cared about his son and only used “whoopings” or “spankings” as a last resort. He offered up information that the police didn’t have and was incredulous when asked if some of the numerous wounds and marks on the child were from an extension cord, saying, “Oh, no, I’d never hit my child with an extension cord. I remember how it feels to get whooped with an extension cord. I’d never do that.”

Peterson also said, “Anytime I spank my kids, I talk to them before, let them know what they did, and of course after.” Peterson also expressed regret that his son did not cry – because then, Peterson said, he would have known that the switch was doing more damage than intended. He didn’t realize the “tip of the switch and the ridges of the switch were wrapping around [the child’s] legs.” Peterson also acknowledged that this was administered directly to the child’s skin and with the child’s pants pulled down.

Peterson later told police that the marks on his son’s buttocks were similar to the marks any of his other children get when he “spanks them with a switch,” but that the mark on the child’s leg from when the switch “wrapped around his thigh” was more severe than anything he had ever done in the past.

Peterson said he knew that his son had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for when he returned home and that the doctor would discover the injuries. Peterson added that if he felt like he was “really wrong for what I did, or had any ill intent, there’s no way I would have let him get on that plane.” He went on to say, “I have nothing to hide, but I also understand when a child has marks like that on his leg, they have to report that.”

When Peterson was asked how he felt about the incident, he said, “To be honest with you, I feel very confident with my actions because I know my intent.” He also described the incident as a “normal whooping” in regards to the “welps” on the child’s buttocks, but that he felt bad immediately when he saw the injuries on the child’s legs. Peterson estimated he “swatted” his son “10 to 15” times, but he’s not sure because he doesn’t “ever count how many pops I give my kids.”

Peterson went on to reiterate again how much he loves all his kids, and only “whoops” them because he wants them to do right. Toward the end of the interview, Peterson said he would reconsider using switches in the future, but said he would never “eliminate whooping my kids . . . because I know how being spanked has helped me in my life.”

After the child returned home to Minnesota in late May, the mother took the son to his previously scheduled doctor appointment and the doctor that examined the child said the injuries were consistent with child abuse and that it appeared the child had injuries from one incident involving a “switch” and another incident possibly involving a cord.

Authorities in Minnesota referred the case to the Houston Police Department to investigate. During the investigation, authorities determined that the incident did not take place on Woodway Drive in Houston, as originally believed, but instead in Spring, Texas, which is in the Montgomery County jurisdiction.

According to a law-enforcement source, Peterson was indicted Friday in Montgomery County, Texas, but has not yet been arrested.

The NFL recently unveiled a domestic-violence policy, which stipulates a six-game suspension for a first offense but allows for steeper penalties if children are involved.

As of publication, Peterson is not under arrest and is expected to play for the Vikings this weekend when they host the Patriots.

The Vikings have deactivated Peterson for Sunday’s game against the Patriots.

The Montgomery County Sheriff Office released the following statement:

On Thursday, September 11, 2014, a Montgomery County Grand Jury, “true billed”, Adrian Lewis Peterson on a charge of injury to a child. On today’s date at 2:47 PM, a warrant was issued and entered for the arrest of Adrian Peterson for that charge.

Since the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has referred the case to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, and the investigation has led to a, “true bill”, on a criminal offense, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will not discuss details in reference to the case or investigation.

At the time of this release, Adrian Peterson is not in custody at the Montgomery County Jail and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office does not have any details in the arrest of Adrian Peterson.

Main Event wrote:What a joke

ASUHATER! wrote:

Main Event wrote:What a joke

Which part exactly? Whipping your children is definitely not funny and is a terrible disgusting thing for a parent to do to their child.

Main Event wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:

Main Event wrote:What a joke

Which part exactly? Whipping your children is definitely not funny and is a terrible disgusting thing for a parent to do to their child.

Kids get switches used on them every day, it's an act of discipline not trying to maliciously hurt him. Nothing at all disgusting about what he did.

Main Event wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:

Main Event wrote:What a joke

Which part exactly? Whipping your children is definitely not funny and is a terrible disgusting thing for a parent to do to their child.

Kids get switches used on them every day, it's an act of discipline not trying to maliciously hurt him. Nothing at all disgusting about what he did.

ASUHATER! wrote:

Main Event wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:

Main Event wrote:What a joke

Which part exactly? Whipping your children is definitely not funny and is a terrible disgusting thing for a parent to do to their child.

Kids get switches used on them every day, it's an act of discipline not trying to maliciously hurt him. Nothing at all disgusting about what he did.

You're a disgusting human being if you think that and I hope you don't have children. Never in any circumstances ever is there ever a reason to slap, hit, whip, paddle, beat...anything your children. It's barbaric and something we should have moved on from as a species long ago. It's a crutch for weak parents. I don't apologize for sounding harsh.

Main Event wrote: Disgusting human being for being OK with a father disciplining his own kid the way he see's fit? Miss me with that BS, he's not choking or punching his kid. That's his choice, he admitted to feeling bad that he had to do it because no parent wants to truly have to discipline their child in that fashion, but will do it when needed until his kid(s) start to act right on there own without discipline needed.

Main Event wrote:Kids get switches used on them every day, it's an act of discipline not trying to maliciously hurt him. Nothing at all disgusting about what he did.

ASUHATER! wrote:Peterson should be cut by the Vikings and be put in jail imo.

NYCat wrote:The problem is were talking about a fucking four year old with those kind of marks left after a week.

Mental midgets who need to resort to physical violence to control a 4 year old.

Chicat wrote:A bunch of my neighbors were over last night and the consensus was that you should be able to beat your child in any way you deem necessary. I was shocked by that. It really made me question my association with them.

Alieberman wrote:I once spanked one of kids. He was 4. He was being a brat and I finally had enough. This was also the night that I discovered that time outs are not only for kids but maybe more important for parents. My son slept fine that night. I did not. I hurt my son, not to teach him a lesson, but because I lost control. I needed a timeout, I did not need to physically hurt my son. That was about 5 years ago and although my son doesn't remember that moment anymore, I sure do. And I'll never repeat it

Chicat wrote:A bunch of my neighbors were over last night and the consensus was that you should be able to beat your child in any way you deem necessary. I was shocked by that. It really made me question my association with them.

Lando05 wrote:

Alieberman wrote:I once spanked one of kids. He was 4. He was being a brat and I finally had enough. This was also the night that I discovered that time outs are not only for kids but maybe more important for parents. My son slept fine that night. I did not. I hurt my son, not to teach him a lesson, but because I lost control. I needed a timeout, I did not need to physically hurt my son. That was about 5 years ago and although my son doesn't remember that moment anymore, I sure do. And I'll never repeat it

This is so true! Much respect Alieberman because most people can't understand this. My parents are both victims of sexual and physical abuse when they were kids, I'm so thankful they were able to recognize the sick cycle that existed in my families history and get intervention to put a stop to it. Timeout is a very effective and is what my parents used to discipline me growing up. It was much more effective, verses hitting your children and to see how my friends who were physically abused growing up as punishment, it didn't help them one bit.

ASUHATER! wrote:

Lando05 wrote:

Alieberman wrote:I once spanked one of kids. He was 4. He was being a brat and I finally had enough. This was also the night that I discovered that time outs are not only for kids but maybe more important for parents. My son slept fine that night. I did not. I hurt my son, not to teach him a lesson, but because I lost control. I needed a timeout, I did not need to physically hurt my son. That was about 5 years ago and although my son doesn't remember that moment anymore, I sure do. And I'll never repeat it

This is so true! Much respect Alieberman because most people can't understand this. My parents are both victims of sexual and physical abuse when they were kids, I'm so thankful they were able to recognize the sick cycle that existed in my families history and get intervention to put a stop to it. Timeout is a very effective and is what my parents used to discipline me growing up. It was much more effective, verses hitting your children and to see how my friends who were physically abused growing up as punishment, it didn't help them one bit.

I'd love to see a study that shows the rate of life success for kids that are beaten and those that aren't. Like high school and college graduation rates, career earnings, arrest rates, life span, prevailed of mental illness in later life, all that kinds stuff. I'm pretty confident that kids that weren't beaten have insanely higher success in life.

Alieberman wrote:I once spanked one of kids. He was 4. He was being a brat and I finally had enough. This was also the night that I discovered that time outs are not only for kids but maybe more important for parents. My son slept fine that night. I did not. I hurt my son, not to teach him a lesson, but because I lost control. I needed a timeout, I did not need to physically hurt my son. That was about 5 years ago and although my son doesn't remember that moment anymore, I sure do. And I'll never repeat it

ASUHATER! wrote:

Lando05 wrote:

Alieberman wrote:I once spanked one of kids. He was 4. He was being a brat and I finally had enough. This was also the night that I discovered that time outs are not only for kids but maybe more important for parents. My son slept fine that night. I did not. I hurt my son, not to teach him a lesson, but because I lost control. I needed a timeout, I did not need to physically hurt my son. That was about 5 years ago and although my son doesn't remember that moment anymore, I sure do. And I'll never repeat it

This is so true! Much respect Alieberman because most people can't understand this. My parents are both victims of sexual and physical abuse when they were kids, I'm so thankful they were able to recognize the sick cycle that existed in my families history and get intervention to put a stop to it. Timeout is a very effective and is what my parents used to discipline me growing up. It was much more effective, verses hitting your children and to see how my friends who were physically abused growing up as punishment, it didn't help them one bit.

I'd love to see a study that shows the rate of life success for kids that are beaten and those that aren't. Like high school and college graduation rates, career earnings, arrest rates, life span, prevailed of mental illness in later life, all that kinds stuff. I'm pretty confident that kids that weren't beaten have insanely higher success in life.

pc in NM wrote:What Peterson did to his son was, without a doubt, to traumatize him...

... the behavioral health field - my profession - is undergoing a major paradigm shift - from "mental disorders" to "trauma-informed care". Trauma is increasing being identified as a major contributing factor in most non-biological behavioral disorders - in both adults and children.

The prevalence of childhood trauma is being revealed to be shockingly high - not solely physical abuse, but sexual abuse, neglect, psychological abuse, etc.

Regardless of how AP was himself raised, or prevalent child discipline heretofore, our culture needs to change....

Main Event wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:

Main Event wrote:What a joke

Which part exactly? Whipping your children is definitely not funny and is a terrible disgusting thing for a parent to do to their child.

Kids get switches used on them every day, it's an act of discipline not trying to maliciously hurt him. Nothing at all disgusting about what he did.

Olsondogg wrote:

Main Event wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:

Main Event wrote:What a joke

Which part exactly? Whipping your children is definitely not funny and is a terrible disgusting thing for a parent to do to their child.

Kids get switches used on them every day, it's an act of discipline not trying to maliciously hurt him. Nothing at all disgusting about what he did.

Wait, did you really mean this?

PieceOfMeat wrote:The NFL, and the Vikings, are a complete joke.

What peterson did was far, far worse than what ray rice did....and what ray rice did was pretty fucked up.

How the fuck can someone injure a 4 year old kid like that, and have so many people defending him? 4 years old....and whipped up and down (and including the balls) with a a switch till he's bleeding and cut and left with that type of damage? Oh, and the kid's quotes to authorities should tell you this isn't a one time thing, it's the way peterson is.