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Former NFL star Adrian Peterson was arrested Sunday morning in Sugar Land, Texas, on charges of driving while intoxicated (DWI) and unlawful carrying of a weapon. The 40-year-old former Minnesota Vikings running back was found asleep inside his running SUV at a gas station around 9-10 a.m., according to police.
Officers responding to the scene observed his engine running and the vehicle parked near a pump, with Peterson slumped in the driver’s seat and his phone in hand. They say they detected the scent of alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot and his speech was slurred. When questioned, Peterson told police he had been at a poker game earlier and was trying to drive home to Missouri City. He admitted to having consumed two to three shots of a vodka mix and rated his intoxication at a “2” on a scale of 0 to 10, according to the affidavit.
During a search of the SUV, officers found a Glock handgun in the glove compartment, leading to the weapons-possession charge. The DWI charge is classified as a Class B misdemeanor in Texas, while the weapon charge is a Class A misdemeanor, both carry serious legal consequences. Peterson was booked into the Fort Bend County Jail and remained in custody pending further proceedings.
This arrest marks Peterson’s second DWI incident in 2025. Earlier in April, he was stopped in Minnesota following a public NFL draft event, clocked at 83 mph in a 55 mph zone, and registered a blood-alcohol content of 0.14, nearly double the legal limit in that state. His record now includes multiple legal and off-field issues, including a 2014 child- abuse case and a 2022 domestic-violence incident, although in both instances he avoided jail time.
Peterson enjoyed an illustrious 15-season NFL career, earning MVP honors in 2012 and finishing with 14,918 rushing yards and 120 touchdowns, placing him among the league’s all-time leading rushers. He last played in the NFL during the 2021 season and had since remained in the public eye for both his athletic accomplishments and legal controversies.