INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Veteran NFL running back Adrian Peterson was arrested on a felony domestic violence charge on board a flight at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday morning, L.A. Airport Police said.
According to a statement from police, a call was made to officials about a possible domestic violence incident on an aircraft that was scheduled to depart for Houston. The plane turned back to the gate due to “a verbal and physical altercation” between Peterson and a female companion, whom two people with knowledge of the situation said was his wife.
The airport police said it notified the FBI and Peterson was taken into custody at the L.A. Police Department’s Pacific Division. The flight, with his wife on board, later departed for Houston.
“Earlier today Adrian and his wife Ashley had a verbal argument on a flight, and he was removed from the plane,” a representative for Peterson said in a statement. “This is a private misunderstanding between husband and wife and we anticipate it will all be resolved shortly.”
According to police records, Peterson was released on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled for a hearing at LAX Superior Court on June 16.
Peterson, 36, has played for seven teams in his 15-year career. He appeared in four games last season for the Seattle Seahawks and is currently a free agent. He’s the NFL’s fifth-best all-time rusher with 14,918 career yards.
In 2014, Peterson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of recklessly assaulting his son, who was 4 years old at the time. Peterson was placed on probation, paid a $4,000 fine and missed all but one game of the 2014 season.