The angelic image of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is slowly becoming undone. Now Peterson was never a perfect human being (none of us are) but he was the face of the Vikings franchise and could seem to do no wrong as numerous other athletes faced scandal. Despite having six children with six different women in at least three different states (one of which he’s accused of severely beating), Peterson’s sexual proclivities were overlooked unlike others in the league. Well now more details of an old story are coming out that paint him in an even darker light.
In 2011, he was at the center of an incident in an Eden Prairie hotel room that resulted in an accusation of rape and triggered a lengthy police investigation.
The 38-page police report details a night of drinking, arguing and sex that involved the running back, two relatives — including Peterson’s brother, a minor — and four women, in various pairs. One of those present, Chris Brown, a Peterson relative who lives with him in Eden Prairie, told police that he paid for the room using a company credit card for Peterson’s All Day, Inc.
As the night wore on, the report says, one woman who said she knew Peterson previously became upset when she saw him having sex with another woman. She started an argument that lasted at least an hour. According to the report, when she told him that she was “emotionally attached to him,” Peterson reminded her that he was engaged to another woman and had a baby.
The next day one of the women filed a police complaint that was investigated for months. Peterson insisted on his innocence and, at one point, arrived to provide evidence at police headquarters through a back door, his face shrouded by the hood of his sweatshirt.
His attorney, Peter Wold, arranged for Peterson to take a polygraph test, and said he quickly passed and that he also tested “clean” for drugs.
There’s also allegations that Peterson’s foundation lied about how much money was actually going to the organizations they were supposed to help.
Peterson’s indictment has also thrown a spotlight on his charity, Adrian Peterson’s All Day Foundation, which focuses on at-risk children, particularly girls. The charity shut down its website following the September indictment.
The charity’s 2011 financial report showed $247,064 in total revenue, and listed just three organizations that received money. A fourth outlay, entitled simply “clothing for needy families,” listed “unknown” for the number of recipients.
In 2009, the charity said its largest gift, $70,000, went to Straight From the Heart Ministries in Laurel, Md. But Donna Farley, president and founder of the Maryland organization, said it never received any money from Peterson’s foundation. “There have been no outside [contributions] other than people in my own circle,” said Farley. “Adrian Peterson — definitely not.”
“Paint him in an even darker light…” I’m not sure that’s the best choice of words. I’m also sure that, if these allegations are true, this has nothing to do with his case at hand. I’m not condoning any of these acts, just saying that I think it’s time to stick strictly to the facts related to the incident. No need for sensationalism.