🔗 Share this article

Ex-professional football player Mark Sanchez was accused of assault causing harm, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a vehicle after an early morning incident in the city that left him hospitalized with knife injuries.

Details of the Confrontation

Based on an affidavit, the Fox Sports analyst confronted a senior delivery man at a hotel delivery area. The driver claimed he thought “this guy is trying to kill me” and used a defensive spray to protect himself. When the spray did not stop Sanchez from advancing on him, the driver said he stabbed Sanchez “multiple times”. Sanchez then reportedly threw the driver against a dumpster before a look of shock came across his face and he “took off”.

Detectives have examined recorded video of the incident. Bystanders reported that Sanchez and the driver filmed each other with their mobile phones during the incident.

Police wrote in the legal document, “The suspect is seen running after [the man] and the video shows Mr Sanchez seizing and hurling [the man] towards the wall of the hotel.”

Origin of the Conflict

The dispute reportedly started after the analyst and the trucker disagreed about a parking space.

Injuries and Aftermath

This altercation resulted in knife injuries to his upper body, while the driver suffered lacerations to his face. Sanchez was treated in hospital for his injuries, which were non-fatal, before he was taken into custody on that day. He is scheduled to appear at a court session on the coming week.

According to the legal filing, he told police “all he could remember was reaching for a window.” He could not recall the identity of his assailant or the location of the event.

Authorities’ Statement

“This incident should never have happened,” the county attorney commented. “Starting as a dispute between a 38-year-old former professional athlete and a senior citizen ought not to have turned into violence or caused severe harm to anyone. As with any case, we will follow the facts and the law wherever they lead.”

Professional Impact

The analyst was in Indianapolis to cover the football match with the opposing team on the weekend as part of his Fox Sports duties. A fellow ex-player stepped in for Sanchez in the broadcast booth for Sunday’s game. Fox acknowledged the incident in passing on Sunday’s pregame show, with a host saying: “we are all still trying to wrap our heads around it … our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, his family and all those involved”.

He joined Fox in recent years and also works on sports studio shows.

Previous Career

Before his broadcasting career, Sanchez played a decade in the NFL with several teams, including the one team, who took him with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft. He later played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. He ended his playing career in July 2019 and soon after started at ESPN’s college football coverage before moving to his current employer.

In his personal life, Sanchez wed his partner, his spouse, in last year. The pair shares a family of five.