Mark Sanchez, a former NFL quarterback who now serves as a Fox Sports analyst, has been arrested after being stabbed in an Indianapolis altercation.
The football player was injured in downtown Indianapolis around 12:30 a.m. local time on Oct. 4, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed to Entertainment Weekly.
Authorities responded to reports of a “physical disturbance” on Saturday night and arrived in the aftermath of an altercation between two men, in which one of them stabbed the other. Both men were transported to a nearby hospital, with the stabbed man in stable condition, said the IMPD’s initial statement.
A few hours later, police provided an update confirming the identity of the stabbed party as Sanchez, 38, and announcing that he was arrested at the hospital for his role in the incident. The former NFL star is facing misdemeanor charges of battery with injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, and public intoxication. At the time of the second update Sanchez was still in the hospital and had not been booked into jail.
Ric Tapia/Gett
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears addressed the altercation in a Sunday statement: “This incident should never have happened,” said Mears. “What began as a disagreement between a 38-year-old former professional athlete and a 69-year-old man should not have escalated into violence or left anyone seriously injured. As with any case, we will follow the facts and the law wherever they lead.”
In court documents obtained and reviewed by EW, the 69-year-old man, who suffered a laceration to his left cheek, claimed he was defending himself when the stabbing occurred. Per a probable cause affidavit reviewed by the outlet, Sanchez was captured on video from the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown as he approached the driver’s door of a large box truck. He opened the door and began a conversation with a man, who later told police he struggled to understand the football player because he wasn’t wearing his hearing aids, he told police.
Video then sees the man walking backwards away from the quarterback, who follows. “Sanchez is seen running after [the man] and the video shows Mr. Sanchez grabbing and throwing [the man] towards the wall of the Westin,” police wrote in the affidavit. “Mr. Sanchez is then seen throwing [the man] to the ground on the west side of the alley.”
The man told police that he first used pepper spray, which he stated Sanchez wiped away, before using a knife to strike him two to three times. He claimed that Sanchez then turned around and ran.
Sanchez, who is also a Masked Singer alum, was in Indianapolis for a broadcast appearance on Fox Sports when the altercation occurred.
Wesley Hitt/Getty
Following initial reports of Sanchez’s injury, Fox Sports addressed the stabbing in a statement. “Mark Sanchez was injured in Indianapolis on Saturday and is currently recovering in the hospital in stable condition,” it reported. “We are deeply grateful to the medical team for their exceptional care and support. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, and we ask that everyone please respect his and his family’s privacy during this time.”
Representatives for Sanchez did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.
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Sanchez, a California native, was a quarterback in the Nation Football League for 10 seasons. After getting drafted in 2009, he spent the majority of his career with the New York Jets, then after four seasons he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles before jumping to the Dallas Cowboys, the Chicago Bears, and the Washington Redskins. He retired from the league in 2019.
Following his retirement, Sanchez joined ESPN as a sports analyst, then in 2021 he joined the Fox Sports team. He also found time to don a Baby Alien costume on the fourth season of The Masked Singer.
Updated: This article has been updated with more details about the circumstances surrounding Mark Sanchez’s arrest.
