The 2-year-old son of Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson is in critical condition at a South Dakota hospital after he was allegedly beaten by a man dating the boy’s mother. Peterson’s father, Nelson, confirmed Friday afternoon that the child is Adrian’s. "All I can say is, we are asking for prayers and for respect for our family as we deal with this tragic situation," he said. Peterson met with the media earlier today and said he still planned to play in Sunday’s game against Carolina, but didn’t get into many details of the incident.
"I really appreciate all the support that I've been receiving from fans, the Vikings organization," said Peterson, who was excused to miss Thursday's Vikings practice before returning Friday. "This is a private matter and I would ask you all to please just respect my privacy and not ask at all about the situation at hand."He added, "Football is something I will always fall back on. It gets me through tough times. Just being around the guys in here, that's what I need in my life, guys supporting me and just being able to go out and play this game I love. Things that I go through, I've said a thousand times, it helps me play this game to a different level. I'm able to release a lot of stress through this sport, so that's what I plan on doing."
The suspect is Joseph Patterson, who has been dating the boy’s mother and was taking care of the boy on Wednesday night. He called 911 to report a choking but it became clear at the hospital that the boy’s injuries were not accidental, but “consistent with abuse.” "As officers and first responders got there, they found child was unresponsive and he was taken to the hospital," Sioux Falls police spokesman Sam Clemens told USA TODAY Sports. "So they ended up calling police about that or letting them know. We had detectives talk to quite a few people to try to figure out what happened. What they ended up finding was that when the injuries happened there was one person with that child, and that person was Joseph Patterson."
Clemens added the child remains hospitalized in critical condition. "The injuries they found were head injuries," Clemens said. "It was obvious to medical staff that abuse had taken place and that those injuries weren't accidental." Tom Wollman, the prosecutor in Lincoln County, S.D., said the child remains "unresponsive" in the hospital. Police believe the child's mother was "gone for a short time, and that's when we believe the injury occurred."
Patterson, 27, has been charged with aggravated assault and aggravated assault on an infant. He has a prior domestic abuse record with a different woman and child, after a former girlfriend claimed that Patterson had choked and punched her, threatened her with a knife and held her in the bedroom against her will.
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