2-Year-Old Son Of NFL’s Adrian Peterson Dead After Beating From Mom’s Boyfriend

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson walks off the field after a 31-27 loss to the Cleveland Browns in an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

The 2-year-old son of NFL star Adrian Peterson died Friday in a South Dakota hospital after he was allegedly beaten by a man dating the boy’s mother, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported.

A release from the Sioux City police department said the toddler died “from injuries sustained during the aggravated assault Wednesday.” It said it was witholding the child’s name.

The police also said Joseph Robert Patterson had made a court appearance in the case and was being held on $750,000 cash bond. Patterson, 27, was arrested Thursday night and is charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery of an infant, TMZ reported.

The arrest was made after police and paramedics were called to an apartment at 5:43 p.m. Wednesday and found the 2-year-old victim with injuries “consistent with abuse.”

Earlier Friday, Peterson was on the field for stretching with the Vikings on Friday morning. He left for the locker room briefly during special teams drills, which he doesn’t participate in, and returned later.

“This is a private matter and I’m just going to ask you all to respect my privacy, and that’s all I’m going to say about the situation,” Peterson told the media after practice Friday.

At that point, before the boy’s death, he said he would play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.”Football is something I’ll always fall back on to get me through tough times,” Peterson said. “That’s what I need.”