Mark Sanchez Faces Charges After Incident in Indianapolis
Former NFL quarterback and current Fox Sports commentator Mark Sanchez is facing three misdemeanor charges related to an incident on Saturday in Indianapolis, in which he was stabbed and transported to a hospital. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office announced Sunday morning that Sanchez, 38, has been charged with assault with injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry into a vehicle. The initial hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. ET, with bail set at $300.According to a probable cause affidavit, Sanchez allegedly approached a truck driver at a hotel loading dock. The confrontation, according to the affidavit, escalated to the point where the truck driver believed he was in danger, sprayed Sanchez in the face with pepper spray, and, with Sanchez still advancing toward him, said he thought “this guy is trying to kill me”. The trucker then pulled out his knife and, with Sanchez still approaching, said he struck Sanchez “two or three times,” according to the affidavit. The trucker claimed he was thrown against a dumpster and to the ground, and believed he was in a “life or death situation.” According to the affidavit, the driver then said that a “look of shock” appeared on Sanchez’s face and that Sanchez “walked away.” Sanchez was arrested by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at a hospital on Saturday. Fox Sports reported on Saturday that he was recovering and his condition was stable. The sworn statement indicates that Sanchez suffered several stab wounds in the right torso area, while the driver had a laceration on the left cheek and was taken to a different hospital than Sanchez to receive treatment. Sanchez told a police officer that “all he could remember was grabbing a window,” adding that he didn’t know who stabbed him or where it happened, according to the affidavit. The IMPD reported on Saturday that it was investigating an incident between two men that took place at approximately 12:30 a.m. The IMPD did not identify the men in its previous statement, but said that one man received lacerations, while the other received injuries consistent with stab wounds. The detectives reviewed video footage of the confrontation, which according to the police occurred in the popular Wholesale District in the city center, next to the Indiana statehouse. Sanchez was scheduled to be part of the broadcast team for Sunday’s game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, but will no longer be working the game. Sanchez played eight seasons in the NFL after being selected fifth by the New York Jets in the 2009 draft from USC. He helped the Jets advance to two consecutive AFC championship games in his first two seasons. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Washington, the team with which he last appeared in a regular season game in 2018.“This incident should never have happened,” said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears. “What began as a disagreement between a 38-year-old former professional athlete and a 69-year-old man should not have escalated to violence or left anyone seriously injured. As with any case, we will follow the facts and the law wherever they lead us.”
Ryan Mears, Marion County Prosecutor
