NFL free agent Adrian Peterson was arrested Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport following a domestic dispute with his wife Ashley.
The incident occurred Sunday morning on board an aircraft bound for Houston. ESPN reports that the plane had left the gate but was forced to return. According to a police statement, law enforcement was called to the scene over “a verbal and physical altercation between a male suspect and a female victim.”
Peterson, 36, allegedly grabbed his wife’s wedding ring and scratched her finger. He was arrested at 9:20 a.m. local time and booked at the Los Angeles Police Department, Pacific Division. According to the report, Peterson was released Sunday afternoon after posting $50,000 bail.
His wife and the other passengers continued their flight to Houston.
A representative for Peterson confirmed the couple had “had a verbal argument” on the flight. Ashley Peterson is not expected to press charges.
“This is a private misunderstanding between husband and wife and we anticipate it will all be resolved shortly,” the Petersons’ representative said in the statement.
Peterson has a court date set for June 16.
In 2014, Peterson was charged with felony child abuse for using a switch to spank his then-4-year-old son, which left marks that were later discovered by a doctor, theGrio reported.
At the time, Peterson was playing for the Minnesota Vikings and the incident resulted in him being suspended from the team during the investigation. After accepting a plea deal, Peterson didn’t return to the team but said he felt remorseful for leaving marks on his son and vowed to never use corporal punishment as a parenting technique ever again.
Peterson reportedly has at least six children, including two with Ashley.
He later confessed in an interview with Bleacher Report that he still occasionally reaches for a switch to use to discipline his children.
“Nine times out of 10, [I don’t use a switch],” he said at the time.
“My kids are different,” Peterson explained. “They have my blood in them. They have my genes in them. It’s crazy when you think about it. But for me it’s not. I know my kids. I know what they’re capable of, and I know the types of things they do.”
“I had to discipline my son and spank him the other day with a belt,” he continued. “There’s different ways I discipline my kids. I didn’t let that change me.”
Peterson most recently played with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021. ESPN reports that the running back, who completed his fifteenth NFL season this year, plans to play again.
This article contains additional reporting from Blue Telusma.
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