Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been indicted on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child.

According to law-enforcement sources, Peterson beat his four-year-old son with a tree branch, resulting in multiple injuries to the child.

The incident occurred in May when Peterson's son had pushed another one of his other children off of a motorbike videogame, and as punishment Peterson grabbed the branch before striking the child repeatedly.

After the beating, he is reported by SportsRadio 610 to have texted the boy's mother saying: "Never do I go overboard! But all my kids will know, hey daddy has the biggie heart but don't play no games when it comes to acting right."

The Vikings have since released a statement saying that they are "in the process of gathering information regarding the legal situation involving Adrian Peterson" and "will defer further questions to Adrian's attorney Rusty Hardin".

Peterson has spent his entire career with the Vikings and has been named in the First-Team All-Pro three times.