Adrian Peterson son: Radisson suspends Minnesota Vikings sponsorship

Radisson is suspending its sponsorship of Minnesota Vikings after Adrian Peterson was charged with child abuse in Texas.

Adrian Peterson hit his 4-year-old son last May with part of a branch.

The Vikings have reinstated the player after dropping him.

“Radisson is suspending its limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances,” the company said.

It added it “takes this matter very seriously, particularly in light of our long-standing commitment to the protection of children”.

Radisson’s sponsorship includes a banner visible to viewers watching Vikings’ news conferences.

The Minnesota Vikings said it had “respectfully honored Radisson’s request”, a team spokesman said.

Adrian Peterson stands accused of using part of a tree branch to spank his four-year-old son. The player says he was using a form of discipline his father used on him as a boy.

“I am not a perfect son. I am not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser,” Adrian Peterson said in a statement.

“I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury.”

The Vikings dropped Adrian Peterson for Sunday’s game but then reinstated him on Monday.

The team’s general manager, Rick Spielman, said: “I understand that this is a very difficult thing to handle. But we also feel strongly as an organization that this is disciplining a child.

“Whether it’s an abusive situation or not, or whether he went too far disciplining, we feel very strongly that that is the court’s decision to make, but we also understand the seriousness of abusing children as well.”

The charges against Adrian Peterson come just days after another NFL star, Ray Rice, had his contract terminated after a video emerged in which he appeared to punch his wife.