Mark Sanchez Stabbed ‘Two-To-Three Times’ In Chest During Fight With Trucker, And What Started It Is Unbelievable

Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez is recovering from stab wounds he got during a violent fight in Indianapolis on October 4. The 38-year-old ex-Jets player was in the city to work as an analyst for a Raiders-Colts game when the incident happened just after midnight behind a downtown pub.

The fight started in an alley behind Loughmiller’s Pub and Eatery, where Sanchez had been doing wind sprints. A grease truck driver named Perry Tole, 69, had parked his truck in a loading dock at a nearby Westin Hotel, blocking the alley where Sanchez was running. When Sanchez went up to Tole to get him to move the truck, things quickly turned physical.

As per NY Post, court documents say that Sanchez body-slammed Tole against a wall and then to the ground. Tole used pepper spray on Sanchez, but the former quarterback kept attacking him. Thinking his life was in danger, Tole pulled out a knife and stabbed Sanchez two to three times in the chest. The attack finally stopped when Sanchez turned around and walked away.

This Whole Thing Could Have Been Avoided

Police showed up around 12:30 a.m. after getting reports of a shooting and found Sanchez at Loughmiller’s Pub. Sanchez would not cooperate with officers and told detectives he could only remember “grabbing for a window” and nothing else about what happened. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and had surgery for his chest wounds.

Both men got seriously hurt from the fight. Tole was taken to the hospital with bad injuries, including cuts to his cheek and jaw. Photos showed him in a hospital bed with tubes, wires and a neck brace. The cut to his face was so deep that it went through his cheek and hit his tongue.

Sanchez was arrested at the hospital and first faced charges of battery resulting in injury, public intoxication and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle. Those charges were later upgraded to a Level 5 felony battery of causing serious injury. He posted a $300 cash bond and was let go. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. This situation shows how quickly things can turn dangerous when tempers flare.

His lawyer, Tim Delaney, told an Indianapolis court on Wednesday that Sanchez “is still recovering from injuries” and would not need to show up at the next hearing set for December 2. Judge James Osborn has set a trial date for December 11. If found guilty, Sanchez could face up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Tole has filed a lawsuit against Sanchez, saying he suffered permanent damage from the attack, including to his head, jaw and neck. After leaving the hospital, Sanchez thanked the surgeon who “saved my life” and said he was “recovering slowly” but did not talk about the legal case. Like other shocking incidents that have made headlines, this case has gotten a lot of attention and left people wondering what really led to such a violent encounter.