Adrian Peterson agrees to complete 20 sessions of domestic violence, alcohol counseling

Peterson agreed to the sessions as an alternative to prosecution during a pre-filing hearing on Friday, ESPN reported.

NFL free agent Adrian Peterson will attend 20 sessions of domestic violence and alcohol counseling after being arrested in February in Los Angeles on suspicion of domestic violence.

Rob Wilcox, a Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office spokesman, said Peterson agreed to the sessions as an alternative to prosecution during a pre-filing hearing on Friday, according to ESPN.

Adrian Peterson has reportedly agreed to complete 20 sessions of domestic violence and alcohol counseling within the next six months. (Photo: Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports)

According to the report, the incident in question occurred on Feb. 13, when the Los Angeles Airport Police said in a statement that they received a call about a possible domestic violence situation on an aircraft headed to Houston. They said they responded to “a verbal and physical altercation between a male suspect and a female victim.”

Peterson’s wife, Ashley, released a statement on Instagram following the police’s assertions, where she wrote: “On Sunday, Adrian and I had a verbal argument. Unfortunately it was on an airplane. At no point did Adrian hit or strike me. This is a private matter between my husband and myself. We ask that everyone respect our privacy so we can focus on what matters most: our children.”

Per previous reporting from ESPN, the L.A. County district attorney opted not to charge Peterson in the incident, where he admitted to getting into an argument with his wife and told Fox 26 in Houston in February that he “ended up grabbing her hand and taking her ring off her finger.” He told the news outlet that taking the ring off left a scratch on Ashley’s finger.

In 2014, Peterson was famously charged with felony child abuse after using a switch to speak to his then-4-year-old son. The boy was left with cuts and bruises, and Peterson pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of misdemeanor reckless assault. He served a two-year probation, was fined $4,000, and performed 80 hours of community service. The NFL suspended Peterson for one year.

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