Adrian Peterson mug shot – What's abuse and what's discipline?
Adiran Peterson was booked and released on $15,000 bond from the Montgomery County jail in Texas Saturday morning.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s office released a smiley Adrian Peterson mug shot today.
Adrian Peterson was booked and released on $15,000 bond from the Montgomery County jail in Texas Saturday morning, according to the Associated Press.
Capping off what’s been a week-long nightmare for the small army of PR folks on the NFL’s payroll, Peterson was officially charged with causing injury to a child age 14 or younger. Sports and national media alike have been laser focused on the NFL since TMZ leaked elevator video showing Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiancée. The incident has provided fodder for critics who complain that the NFL is too lenient in dealing with domestic abuse, especially in comparison to drug-related infractions. Some have compared Rice’s initial two-week suspension to Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon’s season-long suspension for testing positive for marijuana.
An added element of interest and worry around the Peterson allegations is the cultural and legal line between disciplining children and abusing them. The legal difference between abuse and discipline varies across states. WATCH this video for some recent cases that illustrate the state-to-state discrepency:
For those who may have grown up getting “whoopings,” the line may be different. It appears Peterson might have been among them. Rusty Hardin, Peterson’s attorney had this to say:
Adrian is a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son. He used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in East Texas.
We asked theGrio’s Facebook Family to sound off with their comments on where they think the line is between discipline and abuse. While there are plenty of voices on either side, here are a few examples.
For the entire exchange, check out the discussion here:
Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press relayed an earlier statement from Hardin:
Adrian Peterson has been informed that he was indicted by a grand jury in Montgomery County, Texas for Injury to a Child. The charged conduct involves using a switch to spank his son. This indictment follows Adrian’s full cooperation with authorities who have been looking into this matter. Adrian is a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son. He used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas. Adrian has never hidden from what happened. He has cooperated fully with authorities and voluntarily testified before the grand jury for several hours. Adrian will address the charges with the same respect and responsiveness he has brought to this inquiry from its beginning. It is important to remember that Adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury.
According to CBS Houston:
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!”
