The man charged with the killing of Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson's 2-year-old son has a lengthy arrest record that includes assault charges against a 3-year-old child filed just last year, according to The Argus Leader.
Joseph Robert Patterson, who was charged in connection with the apparent beating death of Peterson's 2-year-old son, was previously charged with spanking a 3-year-old boy so severely in 2012 for misbehaving in church that his mother had to put ice on the welts that formed on his body. She later took out an order of protection against Patterson after also telling police he had threatened to kill her on numerous occasions.
Patterson, 27, is facing aggravated assault on an infant and aggravated assault charges that are almost certain to be upgraded after Peterson's child died late Friday of the head injuries he suffered during a savage beating at his home on Wednesday.
According to The Leader, EMTs were called to the boy's home that evening and found him suffering from injuries that an examination later found were "consistent with abuse." In court on Friday, Lincoln County State's Attorney Tom Wollman told Judge Stuart Tiede Patterson was a danger to the community and a risk to flee. He was ordered held on $750,000 cash bond.
Authorities described the relationship between Patterson and the boy's mother as "fairly new" and added she had only recently relocated to Sioux Falls from Minnesota.
Tiede set Patterson's next court appearance for Oct. 30.
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