Governor: Suspend Adrian Peterson

MINNEAPOLIS -- The governor of Minnesota has joined the chorus of those calling for the Minnesota Vikings to suspend running back Adrian Peterson.

Mark Dayton -- who spearheaded the legislative fight for the Vikings' new $1 billion stadium and stood next to team owner Zygi Wilf at the groundbreaking in November -- released a statement on Tuesday saying he believes the Vikings should take Peterson off the field until his child abuse case is resolved in Montgomery County, Texas.

Peterson was indicted on one count of reckless or negligent injury to a child Friday, stemming from an incident earlier this year when he used a switch to discipline his son, and he will make his first appearance in court on Oct. 8. His case might not go to trial until next year, however, and the Vikings announced on Monday that Peterson will be allowed to play while his case is being decided.

That move, Dayton said Tuesday, was a mistake.

"It is an awful situation," he said in a statement provided to The Associated Press. "Yes, Mr. Peterson is entitled to due process and should be 'innocent until proven guilty.' However, he is a public figure; and his actions, as described, are a public embarrassment to the Vikings organization and the state of Minnesota. Whipping a child to the extent of visible wounds, as has been alleged, should not be tolerated in our state. Therefore, I believe the team should suspend Mr. Peterson, until the accusations of child abuse have been resolved by the criminal justice system.

"However, I will not turn my back on the Vikings and their fans, as some have suggested. The Vikings belong to Minnesota -- and in Minnesota. This has been the team's only home, and our citizens, including myself, have been its most dedicated fans."

Minnesota Sen. Al Franken also said Tuesday that Peterson should not be allowed to play.

"It was absolutely heartbreaking to hear about what happened to this child. I'm a die-hard Vikings fan, and watching the games on Sundays has been one of my favorite things to do since I was a kid. But this is just wrong, and I think the Vikings made the wrong decision here," he said.

"This is in the hands of law enforcement now, and it must go through the judicial process, but I don't believe Adrian Peterson should be allowed to play until that happens. A lot of kids look up to these players, and it's not OK for the Vikings to send the signal that what happened is acceptable. This is bigger than a football game."

Peterson's charity, the All Day Foundation, announced it is on a hiatus as of Tuesday.

"The Foundation will re-engage after Adrian, his family, and staff have reflected on how the current situation impacts the direction for Adrian's philanthropy," it said in a statement.

Later Tuesday, the website for the charity went offline.

"We have taken the Adrian Peterson's All Day Foundation website offline to protect our charity partners from the continued harassment they have received from the media," it said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, over the past few years when there was positive news, the media paid little attention to our nonprofit partners. Now, the charities are being harassed, judged and placed in uncomfortable positions. They are being pushed to make statements and business decisions that are taking time away from the good work they are doing.

"The Foundation will continue to support the causes that Adrian and his family care about and will consider how the current situation impacts the direction for Adrian's philanthropy."

Dayton's statements come the day after the Vikings announced that Peterson would practice this week and play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Shortly after the news conference the team held to announce that decision, the Radisson hotels chain -- whose logo was on a press banner behind Vikings general manager Rick Spielman as he discussed the decision -- announced it was suspending its sponsorship of the team.

Nike stores at the Mall of America in Bloomington and at an outlet mall in Albertville pulled Peterson merchandise. Nike will continue to sell the jerseys nationally however, a source told ESPN.com.

Mylan Inc. said it was no longer working with Peterson to promote its EpiPen, used to treat allergic reactions. The running back had participated in several promotions to raise awareness for anaphylaxis, which he has dealt with in the past.

"Mylan has ended all activities with Adrian Peterson," spokeswoman Julie Knell said. "We remain committed to supporting those managing potentially life-threatening allergies and will continue our educational efforts to increase anaphylaxis awareness and preparedness."

Castrol Motor Oil also cut sponsorship ties with the embattled star running back, saying it "has decided to end our relationship with Adrian Peterson."

The Vikings and Catholic Charities mutually agreed to cancel a NFL Play 60 event on Tuesday afternoon at the St. Joseph's Home for Children in Minneapolis, which provides shelter for Hennepin County children affected by abuse or instability. The Vikings have partnered with the home on numerous events since 1998.

A television station in Houston has reported that Peterson faced a similar accusationregarding another son in 2013.

ESPN.com's Darren Rovell and The Associated Press contributed to this report.