Photo: Aj Mansour (KFAN)

By: Aj Mansour | KFAN.com
@AjMansourKFAN

Slowly but surely, Adrian Peterson's side of the story is creeping into the limelight. Monday afternoon, Peterson's newly hired defense attorney Rusty Hardin, issued a statement to the media that echoes Peterson's claims of innocence and claims that Peterson was in fact struck in the face twice for "no legitimate reason."

"Adrian Peterson did not resist arrest this past Saturday morning," Hardin's statement reads."Any suggestion that he pushed, struck or shoved a Houston Police Officer is a total fabrication. He, in fact, was struck at least twice in the face for absolutely no legitimate reason, and when all the evidence is impartially reviewed, it will clearly show Adrian was the victim, not the aggressor."

Peterson's hiring of a high powered attorney the likes of Hardin hints at the idea that Peterson will be seeking some sort of retribution for how he was handled Saturday morning.

It was originally reported that Peterson had been "wasted" in the club and was playing the role of difficult customer all night long. To the contrary, Hardin's statement went on to claim that Peterson "was only in that club for 30 to 40 minutes."

"It is absolutely clear to me that the charges should not have been filed," Hardin continued. "The Bayou Club owes Adrian an apology for having put out a totally false version of what happened. Adrian Peterson does not act the way he has been described in the initial reports, and he did not act that way Saturday morning. He was only in that club for 30 to 40 minutes, was never objectionable to other patrons, and never physically resisted any police officer. Adrian is extremely upset about these false allegations. These charges are totally at odds with the way he has conducted himself throughout his career, and he asks that his fans and the public at large reserve judgment until they hear all the facts. Adrian looks forward to his day in court."

There are still rumors that lend to the possible existence of a surveillance tape from the club that night. When this tape emerges it should be pretty cut and dry as to which party provoked the other and who might have made first contact.

Stay tuned to KFAN.com and follow @AjMansourKFAN on Twitter for the latest in the Adrian Peterson case.

Aj Mansour covers Minnesota Sports for KFAN.com. Feel free to leave comments and questions regarding this post in the space provided below. For Vikings' updates and breaking Vikings' news, follow Aj on Twitter. @AjMansourKFAN