National Football League

Dayton: Vikings' Peterson should be suspended

Published Sep. 16, 2014 12:38 p.m. ET

foxsports

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton says Vikings running back Adrian Peterson should have remained suspended until an accusation of child abuse was resolved in the Texas legal system.

Peterson is accused of using a wooden switch to spank his 4-year-old son. He has said he was sorry for hurting the child but did not intend to and is not a child abuser.

The governor said in a statement to The Associated Press that Peterson is innocent until proven guilty. But Dayton also called Peterson's actions ''a public embarrassment'' to the Vikings and the state of Minnesota.