Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez was involved in a late-night altercation with a 69-year-old truck driver in a downtown Indianapolis alley, resulting in Sanchez being pepper-sprayed and stabbed multiple times. Court records filed on Sunday detailed the incident, which led to criminal charges against the Fox Sports analyst.
According to a police affidavit based on hotel video footage and the driver’s statement to the police, Sanchez, allegedly smelling of alcohol, confronted the driver of a box truck that was backing into a hotel’s loading docks. This confrontation escalated outside the vehicle, prompting the driver to defensively use a knife. Sanchez sustained stab wounds to his upper right torso and was hospitalized, while the driver had a cut on his left cheek.
Sanchez, who was said to be in stable condition, was scheduled for an initial court hearing on Tuesday in Marion County. The altercation intensified as the driver felt threatened and defended himself by pulling out a knife when Sanchez approached him. The affidavit mentioned that Sanchez was stabbed multiple times during the incident.
Sanchez, who was in Indianapolis to cover the Raiders-Colts game for Fox Sports, was charged with battery resulting in injury, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, and public intoxication, all of which are misdemeanors. The Marion County Prosecutor stated that the situation should not have escalated into violence, emphasizing the need for a peaceful resolution.
Sanchez, during his hospital interaction with the police, only recalled grabbing for a window and had no recollection of the other individuals involved or the exact location of the altercation. Fox Sports expressed concern and sent thoughts and prayers to Sanchez and everyone affected by the incident.
Police discovered Sanchez with stab wounds at a downtown pub, with the truck driver found in the alley. The details of the confrontation were outlined in the affidavit, which included Sanchez’s aggressive behavior towards the driver and the subsequent use of pepper spray and a knife in self-defense by the driver.
Sanchez, known for his NFL career before retiring in 2019, had joined Fox Sports as a game analyst in 2021. The former USC star quarterback, married to actor Perry Mattfeld, was involved in the incident while in Indianapolis for work.