Well, the story of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson's back-and-forth with Houston police at a club last Saturday morning gathered a bit more weight. Not only has Peterson hired attorney Rusty Hardin -- the man who represented Roger Clemens in the pitcher's recent perjury trial -- but Peterson's father recently revealed that according to what he's been told, the police officers involved in the incident treated Peterson far less than respectfully.
"Adrian has a high regard for people in the military and the officers that help protect us," Nelson Peterson told TwinCities.com. "The officer said he pushed him, shoved him, then why is he not charged with assault? Only charged with resisting arrest. Doesn't make sense."
Daniel Maher, the owner of the Live at Bayou Place club, told TMZ.com that Peterson was drunk and belligerent during the incident, but just as he has an interest in forwarding that side of the story and the Houston Police Department has a prurient interest in making no comment at all at this time, Peterson's father is naturally going to take his son's side.
Two things we do know: Peterson has no history of physical violence outside of the embarrassment he hands out to defensive players, and the Houston police have an interesting backstory when it comes to physically imposing men of African-American descent.
[Related: Vikings RB Adrian Peterson arrested for resisting arrest]
Kese Smith, a spokesperson for the Houston PD, did tell NFL.com and the NFL Network that Peterson's misdemeanor case would be adjudicated quickly, and that Peterson would likely face nothing more than a fine.
And that's where things get really interesting. If this is such an in-and-out case, why has Peterson gone to the trouble of hiring a major attorney with a fairly ferocious reputation? It is entirely possible that Peterson is looking to clear his name without qualification, and is ready to tell the Houston police what they can do with that fine.
Here's Hardin's first statement on behalf of his new client:
Adrian Peterson did not resist arrest this past Saturday morning 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.
"Adrian is kind of frustrated because he's the kind of guy who's tried to do the right things in society and he cares about being a high-character guy," Peterson's father said. "He has a 9-year-old daughter, so he doesn't want her hearing in the news about how he's being perceived."
Peterson is due in Harris County court on Friday.
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