Fox Sports broadcaster and former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez has been formally charged in Indianapolis after he was involved in an incident in which he was stabbed and left hospitalized.
Sanchez was charged with battery resulting in injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced Sunday morning.
According to a probable cause affidavit signed by detective Joshua Slayton, Sanchez was involved in a fight in an alleyway between the Marriott and Westin hotels in Indianapolis early Saturday morning. The altercation occurred with a man who parked a truck in the alleyway, tasked with removing grease from commercial kitchens.
The affidavit alleged that surveillance footage from the Marriott revealed Sanchez “approached the driver’s door of the truck and opened the door and began a conversation with [the alleged victim] P.T.” The two allegedly had an interaction at the driver’s side door before the alleged victim walked towards the passenger side with Sanchez following him.
Later, the affidavit read, “Mr. Sanchez is seen running after P.T. and the video shows Mr. Sanchez grabbing and throwing P.T. towards the wall of the Westin. It appears that the two men are now fighting between the large metal green dumpster and the truck. The fight continues up against the dumpster and then as a vehicle is driving south bound in the alley, the two men continue fighting and are now moving out towards the middle of the alley. Mr. Sanchez is then seen throwing P. T. to the ground on the west side of the alley just as the car passes. P. T. stands up from the ground and Mr. Sanchez is standing there for a brief moment before turning and running north bound towards W Washington St.”
After the incident, the driver told police that Sanchez told him he “could not be there.” He said that he was trying to flag down hotel security but eventually “realized things had escalated, and he was now in physical danger, so he reached into his pocket and grabbed his pepper spray and sprayed Mr. Sanchez in the face.”
As Sanchez allegedly resumed the attack, the affidavit continued, the driver thought he was in a “life or death situation” and “struck him two or three times with the knife.”
When detectives questioned Sanchez at the hospital, the Fox analyst “said he did not know who did this to him or where it happened,” according to the affidavit.
Fox Sports briefly addressed the situation on its pregame show Sunday, as host Curt Menefee told viewers, “Mark Sanchez was involved in an incident that, to be honest, we’re all still trying to wrap our heads around. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, his family, and all those involved.” The network declined further comment.
Brady Quinn, who is normally a college football studio analyst for Fox, filled in for Sanchez during the Colts–Raiders broadcast Sunday.
