NFL running back Adrian Peterson charged with domestic violence after police say he got into a 'physical altercation' with his wife on a flight
NFL free agent Adrian Peterson was arrested on Sunday on domestic violence charges, according to police.
Los Angeles Airport Police said Peterson got into a "physical altercation" with his spouse on a plane.
Peterson previously pleaded no contest to one count of misdemeanor reckless assault in 2014.
NFL free agent running back Adrian Peterson has been charged with domestic violence after a "verbal and physical altercation" with his wife on a flight that caused the plane to turn around, according to police.
Police arrested Peterson at around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport, according to a statement from the Los Angeles Airport Police. Peterson was on board a Houston-bound flight that had to return to the gate after Peterson and a woman got into an altercation on the plane, a police spokesperson said.
Police didn't directly name the female victim, but the charge he was arrested on suspicion of committing — domestic violence, injury to spouse — indicates it was his wife, Ashley Peterson, who was the victim.
"The flight was departing to Houston, Texas, but had to return to the gate due to a verbal and physical altercation between a male suspect and a female victim," police said in the statement.
After Peterson's arrest, the flight was allowed to resume to Houston with all of its passengers including the female victim, police said.
Police said Peterson was booked into the Los Angeles Police Department Pacific Division on Sunday. According to a news release from the NFL, Peterson later posted $50,000 bail and was released from custody on the same day.
The NFL did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Monday.
A spokesperson for Peterson told ESPN that he and his wife "had a verbal argument" during the flight.
"This is a private misunderstanding between husband and wife and we anticipate it will all be resolved shortly," the Petersons' representative told ESPN in a statement.
According to ESPN, a source close to Peterson said Peterson grabbed his wife's wedding ring and scratched her finger during the altercation. The source said that Ashley Peterson does not plan to press charges.
Peterson, 36, is a longtime NFL running back who most recently played for the Seattle Seahawks in 2021. Peterson's NFL career has been one of the most decorated in league history with seven pro bowl appearances, four first-team all-pro selections, and an AP NFL Most Valuable Player award for the 2012 season.
Peterson also pleaded no contest to one count of misdemeanor reckless assault in 2014 stemming from an incident in which he used a switch to spank his son. He was suspended for the remainder of the 2014 season after his arrest.
Peterson admitted in a police report that he did "whoop" one of his children while they were visiting his house in Texas, Insider reported at the time. According to the police report, the child's mother took them to the doctor who described some of the child's injuries as "child abuse" to investigators.
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