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NFL running back Adrian Peterson was taken into police custody Sunday morning after he and his wife Ashley were involved in a domestic violence matter. The couple was at Los Angeles International Airport and on their way back to Houston when the airport responded to “a verbal and physical altercation between a male suspect and a female victim,” per the police report.

“It’s blown out of proportion,” Peterson told Mark Berman of Houston’s KRIV. “Me and the wife got into an argument on the plane. That was pretty much the gist of it. I ended up grabbing her hand and taking her ring off her finger. She didn’t press any charges. The state of California pressed charges because there was a scratch on her hand. Literally that’s why I went to jail, because the ring left a scratch on her finger.”

“I know the headlines: Domestic violence,” Peterson added. “You’d think I beat her up or something. It was nothing like that.”

A seven-time Pro Bowler and current free agent, Peterson already has a history of family violence. In late 2014, he was charged with “reckless or negligent injury to a child” in Montgomery County, Texas after using a tree branch to spank his 4-year-old son. Peterson allegedly struck his son all over his body, including the boy’s lower back, buttocks, and scrotum. According to police reports, the boy also said his father stuffed his mouth with leaves and that he was scared Peterson would retaliate if he went to the authorities.

Peterson was much milder when he gave his side of the events, though. “Never do I go overboard!” he said in an interview with Sports Radio 610. “But all my kids will know, hey daddy has the biggie heart but don’t play no games when it comes to acting right.” He avoided jail time by agreeing to a plea deal but did admit he was still using physical discipline as recently as 2018.

With regard to yesterday’s fracas (and just like what was told to Mark Berman), Ashley Peterson refused to go through with pressing charges against her husband. After he was booked at the Los Angeles Police Department Pacific Division, Peterson was given $50,000 bail. He posted bond and was released soon afterward.

“This is a private misunderstanding between husband and wife and we anticipate it will all be resolved shortly,” the couple said in a joint statement.

“Only thing I will say is it looks horrible because Adrian Peterson arrested for domestic violence,” Peterson also told Berman. “I don’t hit women. It’s not that type of situation, and it just looks bad. I’ll deal with it, and God willing get the charges dropped and move on.”

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NFL Running Back Adrian Peterson Arrested For Alleged Domestic Violence Incident  was originally published on cassiuslife.com