Adrian Peterson had misdemeanor resisting arrest charges against him in Houston have been dropped, giving the Minnesota Vikings’ remarkable running back relief.
“They dropped the charges. Thank God,” he wrote in the text to someone at ESPN.
Derek Hollingsworth, one of Peterson’s attorneys, said Tuesday the case stemming from Peterson’s July 7 arrest outside a night club is expected to be formally dropped on Wednesday. Peterson was due in court for a pretrial hearing on Thursday before Judge Natalie Fleming.
Hollingsworth said Peterson testified before the grand jury on Tuesday, two days after he rushed for 171 yards in the Vikings’ 34-24 win over Detroit. Peterson is the NFL’s leading rusher this season, averaging 112.8 yards per game.
Peterson was arrested outside a Houston nightclub on July 7. The Palestine, Texas, native was handcuffed and briefly jailed after a confrontation with an off-duty police officer outside the club, then released on $1,000 bond.
He hired attorney Rusty Hardin, who successfully defended Roger Clemens in his congressional perjury case, to defend him against the charges.
Police had said Peterson shoved the officer, who was working security and asked Peterson and his companions to leave the club, which was closed. Peterson said July 13 that he “didn’t push, shove, touch anything to anyone that night, especially an officer.”
Peterson has returned to his Pro Bowl self this season after tearing the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee last Dec. 24, rushing for 1,128 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games this season. He had 171 yards on Sunday in an effort that has the league already looking at him as one of the league’s top comeback player of the year candidates, along with Denver’s Peyton Manning.
Peterson and the Vikings (6-4) have are off this week.
