Adrian Peterson Arrested: DWI and Unlawful Weapon Charges Shake NFL Star’s Reputation

Former Minnesota Vikings standout Adrian Peterson was arrested in Texas on charges of driving while intoxicated and unlawfully carrying a weapon.

According to a report by TMZ, the 40-year-old was taken into custody in Sugar Land around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 26.

Us Weekly corroborated the arrest details with Fort Bend County jail records, which listed charges of “unlawful carrying of a weapon” and “DWI” against Peterson.

Requests for comments have been made by Us Weekly to both Peterson’s representative and the Sugar Land Police Department.

TMZ noted via its Sunday coverage that Peterson, who played running back for the Vikings from 2007 and through the 2016 season, was arrested in April for DWI “after the Vikings draft day party when a police officer claimed they saw him going 83 in a 55 MPH zone just after 3 a.m.”

Further reporting on Sunday’s arrest by local news outlet KHOU 11 stated that “the investigation is still active.”

Peterson’s trouble with the law goes as far back as 2014, when he suspended by the NFL for one year following a charge of felony child abuse for using “a switch to spank his then 4-year-old son,” per reporting by ABC News at the time. Peterson pleaded no contest in the case, which resulted in a reduced charge of misdemeanor reckless assault, per the outlet’s coverage.

Peterson’s then-agent, Ron Slavin, said in a statement obtained by the outlet at the time that, “there is nothing more important to Adrian Peterson than being a good father to his children.” Slavin also noted that Peterson “learned several valuable lessons” in 2014 as a result of the suspension and subsequent counseling.

Peterson himself also released a statement regarding the incident, published by ESPN at the time. “I have learned a lot and have had to reevaluate how I discipline my son going forward,” the statement read. “But deep in my heart I have always believed I could have been one of those kids that was lost in the streets without the discipline instilled in me by my parents and other relatives. I have always believed that the way my parents disciplined me has a great deal to do with the success I have enjoyed as a man. I love my son and I will continue to become a better parent and learn from any mistakes I ever make.”

In the hours following 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, Peterson’s wife, Ashley Brown, who married the athlete in July 2014, shared an Instagram Story throwback photo of her husband playing in the NFL.

As for Peterson’s online activity, the former footballer shared an Instagram Story in the late hours of Saturday, October 25, that captured a live musical performance in a darkened room.

Peterson is a Palestine, Texas, native who also played for the Arizona Cardinals for a single season, the Washington Redskins for two seasons, the Detroit Lions, the Tennessee Totals and the Seattle Seahawks. He played 15 seasons for the NFL in total.