Need More Info To Assess Star’s Arrest
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By DERON SNYDER
Rushed judgments have become a national pastime, fueled in part by the 24-hour news cycle’s incessant and insatiable appetite. It demands instant decisions, analysis and commentary, lest you be left behind or deemed wishy-washy.
An incident occurs — say, an African-American athlete is charged with resisting arrest — and many folks immediately go to their respective corners. Either he was a target of profiling and a victim of racism or he was guilty of provoking the police and big-timing them with a “Do-you-know-who-I-am?” attitude.
That’s where we stand with the case of Minnesota Vikings halfback Adrian Peterson, who was arrested Saturday night at a Houston nightclub at closing time. Just like that, a player with a previously pristine reputation is in trouble with the law and the fault-finding has begun.
The police said Peterson pushed an officer in the shoulder, “causing him to stumble,” and began yelling and “assumed an aggressive stance.” Peterson’s father said the officer used “vulgar language” and was “disrespectful,” and it’s his understanding that his son didn’t push the officer.
