Adrian Peterson Arrested in Houston

[Just Me]

Battery for pushing someone? Doesn't sound like any punches were thrown or anybody injured at all.

The Texas statute reads: The defendant intentionally or knowingly caused physical contact with the victim when the defendant knew or should have reasonably believed that the victim would regard the contact as offensive or provocative (added emphasis). I'm not evaluating the "fairness" of the law or the accuracy of the police record. I'm merely stating the event (if it occurred as the police described) meets the elements of the offense. States' laws vary considerably, and in many states you don't have to injure or "throw punches" to be charged with battery.

[dead_poet]

Oh, I realize. Just trying to wrap my head around it. FWIW:

Peterson, who lists an Oklahoma address, was then booked and formally charged with resisting arrest, a misdemeanor. Smith said that Peterson could have been charged with assaulting an officer, but the district attorney approved the single charge.

http://m.startribune.com/sports/?id=161671135&c=y

[Kansas Viking]

I'm not jumping to any conclusions about the legal issues here. Nobody else should either. Let the facts come out first, please.

But I will offer a little non-legal social commentary.

I think I can count on one hand the number of times since college (three decades ago) that I've been outside of my house at two thirty in the morning. By contrast, professional athletes frequently are cited for violations at that hour.

I subscribe to the words of a certain patriot from the City of Brotherly Love: "Early to bed. Early to rise. Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

Franklin knew how to live. But he also knew when to go to bed. I wish more athletes would follow his teaching.

I agree Dan and your comment here reminds me of a quote from Jim Rome a few years ago. "Nothing bad ever comes from saying "Yes officer."

[S197]

Oh, I realize. Just trying to wrap my head around it. FWIW:
http://m.startribune.com/sports/?id=161671135&c=y

If you're charged with resisting arrest, doesn't that by default mean you're being arrested for something else? I'm assuming that whatever Peterson was initially being arrested for was dropped since it's a single charge?

IF the reports are correct, sounds like Peterson is lucky. I wonder if these were plain clothes off-duty officers. That might have had a play in the DA dropping charges if they didn't look like police officers when they initially approached him.

[Demi]

That might have had a play in the DA dropping charges

I think being Adrian Peterson had the most to do with the charges being dropped.

[Just Me]

TMZ has a video here on the Bleacher Report website. Not much, if anything, can be gleaned from this, but I thought I'd add it to the thread. (Note- Most of the video doesn't even have Adrian in frame, and it's very short). I did note, it looked as though there were uniformed officers there when the incident occurred...

[CalVike]

I agree Dan and your comment here reminds me of a quote from Jim Rome a few years ago. "Nothing bad ever comes from saying "Yes officer."

I also agree. The rules are different when one is high profile and the face of the Minnesota Vikings franchise.

[VikeMike]

As an aside, Ben Franklin might have "known how to live," but it's fairly wide known that he seldom took his own advice about early to bed, early to rise.

[UltraNasty850]

AP was unlucky to have been told to leave by THAT ONE BOUNCER.

He wasnt intoxicated, that would have led to a public intoxication or some sort of alcohol ticket

He didnt "shove" or "push" the officer too hard, he would have been charged with assault on an officer, which I believe is a felony.

He wasnt involved in any fighting or destruction of the bar property

It seems that the bartender/manager/owner didnt care too much that AP was kicking it at his bar, and requested a water.

To me this sounds like the classic case of a #### police officer. The officer apparently takes his job wayyy to seriously to arrest somebody when he is off duty and clearing out a bar in Houston, TX at 215am. I am pretty sure that there are some pretty nasty things going on in Houston at that time of the morning that would be higher on the priority list for attention than Adrian Peterson asking for a bottle of water.

I hope this officer feels like a huge dumb ####. APs arrest is a simple misdomeanor and there is a very small chance this will have any impact on his playing time, or road to recovery.

We can all say that AP needs to not be out late and needs to be professional, but we fail to realize that he is a human being. This is his vacation time off from football. AP has been nothing but the best athlete he can possibly be over the last few months while recovering. He deserves time with his family and friends just as much as we do. From the sounds of it, he was doing absolutely nothing wrong. Absolutely none of us should be giving AP a bed time and telling him what he can and can't do. Hes AP, he can do whatever the hell he wants.

[JellyBean2144]

I know that this is late but I am going to wait until the report comes out. I respect cops. But we all know that there are some cops who are super d*&ks and try to be all tough, trying to make a name for themselves. So they see Adrian and start to think "Oh snap! Let this dude even blink an eyelash and I am going to bust his behind!" So I will wait until the full report comes out.

[dead_poet]

Adrian Peterson - RB - Vikings

Adrian Peterson's father disputes the Houston PD's contention that his son pushed an off-duty officer before his Friday arrest, and alleges Adrian received a black eye during his detainment.

Nelson Peterson also claims the off-duty officer was "disrespectful" and used "vulgar language" before the alleged incident, and questions how Adrian could only be charged with resisting arrest. "Doesn't make sense," Nelson said. Depending on the machinations of Peterson's big-name attorney Rusty Hardin, the case should go quietly into the night in short order.
Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press

[Eli]

the case should go quietly into the night in short order.
Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press

If it's not dismissed outright, it'll probably be knocked down to disorderly conduct.

[dead_poet]

Adrian Peterson's attorney has released a statement saying he didn't resist arrest, claims of shoving a cop are "a total fabrication."

It's an aggressive battle by Peterson's camp to protect his reputation right now. Never been more important to fight back quickly.

Tom Pelissero on Twitter

[dead_poet]

Peterson's attorney: 'Adrian was the victim, not the aggressor'

Rusty Hardin can't be any more direct.
Adrian Peterson, Hardin says, was not at fault Saturday morning when an altercation with security personnel outside a Houston nightclub led to Peterson's arrest.
Hired on Monday to combat charges that Peterson resisted arrest, Hardin has now issued a statement on the matter.

"Adrian Peterson did not resist arrest this past Saturday morning," Hardin contends, "and any suggestion that he pushed, struck or shoved a Houston Police Officer is a total fabrication. He, in fact, was struck at least twice in the face for absolutely no legitimate reason, and when all the evidence is impartially reviewed it will clearly show Adrian was the victim, not the aggressor.

"We have been investigating what happened since Saturday afternoon, and it is absolutely clear to me that the charges should not have been filed, and the Bayou Club owes Adrian an apology for having put out a totally false version of what happened. Adrian Peterson does not act the way he has been described in the initial reports, and he did not act that way Saturday morning. He was only in that club for 30 to 40 minutes, was never objectionable to other patrons, and never physically resisted any police officer. Adrian is extremely upset about these false allegations.

"These charges are totally at odds with the way he has conducted himself throughout his career, and he asks that his fans and the public at large reserve judgment until they hear all the facts. Adrian looks forward to his day in court.”

Peterson's only public comments following the weekend incident came Sunday afternoon on Twitter.

First Peterson quoted Winston Churchill in a Tweet: "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."

That was followed with a call for patience. "Thank you for waiting for the facts," Peterson wrote. "Truth will surface."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... 32885.html
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Thought from Pelissero:

Interesting Peterson was only in the club for "30 to 40 minutes," per attorney. If he was as "wasted" as club manager said, how'd he get in?

[Purple bruise]

I hope that fans and the general public are patient before they "hang" AP or any of the cops.
First off, Houston does, as many police departments do in a lot of towns, allow their "off duty" officers to work on their own time. Sounds as though that was what the situation at the club where the incident occured. Let's hope that AP was not drunk and beligerent towards the staff and or the off duty cops that were there doing their job.
If he was asked to leave at closing time and politely asked if he could get a drink of water, was then refused and was then ushered out then that sounds like some justification for him to get upset. If however he was "drunk" and was asked at least twice to leave and he started a disturbance which led to his arrest well that is a different circumstance.
I for one, will wait for the court and witnesses to be heard before I pass judgement either way. I suggest that that would be the prudent route to follow at this time.
As an aside, OJ's spokesperson and lawyers said that OJ had not done anything either