Mark Sanchez Stabbing Incident: Elderly Victim Claims Drunk Ex-NFL Star 'Tries to Kill' Him During Bloody Brawl

Mark Sanchez, the former NFL quarterback turned broadcaster, was admitted to a hospital with multiple stab wounds after an early-morning altercation in Indianapolis that prosecutors say began as a dispute over parking and escalated into a violent, recorded confrontation.

Court affidavits and surveillance footage obtained by investigators show Sanchez climbing into a truck owned by a 69-year-old driver and confronting him before a physical fight broke out; the driver says he acted in self-defence and has since filed a civil claim against Sanchez and his employer.

Charges and Court Documents

According to an affidavit for probable cause filed by Indianapolis police, officers were dispatched at 00:35 on 4 Oct 2025 after reports of a person with a stab wound at the scene near a hotel loading dock.

The affidavit states that Sanchez was found bleeding with several stab wounds to his upper right torso and was taken to Eskenazi Hospital, while the other man, identified in filings as P.T. (Perry Tole), was transported to a local hospital with a severe laceration to his left cheek.

Marion County prosecutors initially charged Sanchez on 4 Oct with misdemeanor counts: battery resulting in injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle and public intoxication, and set a cash bond of £223 ($300). On 6 October, prosecutors amended their filings after receiving additional information and added a Level-5 felony charge of battery involving serious bodily injury, a count that carries a potential sentence of one to six years.

The probable-cause affidavit is available publicly on DocumentCloud and includes detailed witness statements and surveillance observations that formed the basis for the charging decisions.

Prosecutors said the case remains under active investigation and that additional evidence, including multiple angles of video and witness accounts, informed the upgrading of the charge.

Victim's Account and Attorney Interview

In sworn statements reproduced in the affidavit, the 69-year-old driver describes being confronted by Sanchez in an alley near the hotel and says the former athlete 'kept coming at him' even after the driver used pepper spray.

The driver told detectives he thought 'this guy is trying to kill me', and that, when he felt in mortal danger, he used a knife to defend himself, stabbing Sanchez 'two or three times', according to the papers.

The alleged victim's legal team has discussed the man's injuries publicly. In broadcast interviews, the victim's attorney described his client's recovery as a long and painful process, and confirmed that the man has filed a civil complaint in Marion Superior Court seeking damages from both Sanchez and Fox Corporation for alleged assault and negligent supervision. The court complaint, available as a primary filing, accuses Sanchez of assault and names Fox for negligent hiring and supervision.

Video clips circulating online show chaotic moments before and after the altercation, including security footage of the confrontation and a separate clip of a bloodied Sanchez staggering toward a nearby pub where staff rendered aid. Those images are referenced in both the affidavit and the prosecutor's statement to the press, and they have been viewed by investigators as part of their evidence collection.

Prosecutor's Response and Ongoing Investigation

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears told reporters at a Monday news conference that his office received an amended probable-cause affidavit which contained additional information about the severity of the other man's injuries and that, on that basis, his office filed the more serious Level-5 felony charge. Mears said the incident 'did not need to occur' and made clear prosecutors would follow the evidence wherever it led.

The alleged victim's civil complaint seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and asks for a jury trial, signalling that the legal disputes could run on parallel criminal and civil tracks for months to come. Both sides will be constrained by formal discovery and court timetables as the Marion County courts process the case; a pre-trial conference has been set for 4 November 2025.