Saint Paul, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Calling his actions "a public embarrassment to the Vikings organization and the State of Minnesota", Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton said Vikings running back Adrian Peterson should have been suspended by the team over the recent allegations of abusing one of his sons.
In a statement released Tuesday and transcribed by Minneapolis television station KARE, Dayton remarked that Peterson should not allowed to play until his pending case in Texas involving charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child is resolved.
The Vikings announced Monday that Peterson, who has been accused of using a wooden tree branch to hit his 4-year-old son as a disciplinary measure, will return to practice this week and is expected to play in Sunday's game at New Orleans. The team deactivated the 2012 NFL MVP for last week's contest against New England, which Minnesota lost by a 30-7 score.
"It is an awful situation. Yes, Mr. Peterson is entitled to due process and should be 'innocent until proven guilty.' However, he is a public figure; and his actions, as described, are a public embarrassment to the Vikings organization and the State of Minnesota," said Dayton. "Whipping a child to the extent of visible wounds, as has been alleged, should not be tolerated in our state. Therefore, I believe the team should suspend Mr. Peterson, until the accusations of child abuse have been resolved by the criminal justice system."
Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf said in a statement Monday they were taking the accusations seriously and that it was "a matter of due process" that they allow Peterson to play while the legal case plays out.
Peterson, who is said to be cooperating with police over the initial incident, also issued a statement Monday saying he is "not a child abuser" and that he did not intend to injure his son as he "disciplined" him.
Hours after the Vikings announced their intentions to reinstate Peterson, Houston television station KHOU reported that the mother of another of the star running back's children filed a report with Child Protective Services last year alleging that he had physically abused that boy as well.
No charges were ever filed for the 2013 report, however, and Peterson's attorney said Monday that his client is not under investigation for that incident.
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