The man who stabbed Fox NFL analyst Mark Sanchez said he feared for his life, according to new details revealed in an affidavit for probable cause.
Sanchez, 38, was hospitalized in Indianapolis early Saturday morning with a stab wound. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced Saturday afternoon that it arrested the former New York Jets quarterback and charged him with ‘battery with injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle and public intoxication, all which are misdemeanors.’
According to an affidavit obtained by USA TODAY Sports, Sanchez allegedly approached a box truck in a loading dock outside of the Westin hotel and confronted the driver. The ensuing interaction led the driver to think, ‘this guy is trying to kill me,’ according to the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, Sanchez allegedly opened the door to the truck and told the driver, who was exchanging frying oil for the hotel, that he wasn’t allowed to be at the loading dock.
After the driver exited the truck cab, Sanchez then allegedly entered it, according to the affidavit, before the driver told him he was not allowed there. According to the affidavit, the Fox NFL analyst allegedly got out from the cab, then allegedly prevented the driver from re-entering to get his phone to call the hotel manager.
At one point, the affidavit says, Sanchez allegedly shoved the driver, leading the driver to use his pepper spray on Sanchez. In a statement included in the affidavit, the driver said he feared for his life when Sanchez continued to approach him after he had used the pepper spray, leading him to pull out his knife before he ‘struck [Sanchez] two or three times.’
According to a security video cited in the affidavit, Sanchez allegedly threw the driver toward the wall of the hotel then threw him on the ground. The driver eventually regained his feet, the affidavit says, and ‘stabbed Sanchez the last time.’
According to the affidavit, that is when Sanchez fled the scene, ‘running northbound.’
As of Saturday, Sanchez was reported to be in stable condition after the stabbing.
Sanchez was in Indianapolis to announce the Indianapolis Colts game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday that former NFL player and current Fox analyst Brady Quinn will replace Sanchez on the broadcast.
Sanchez was the No. 5 overall pick by the Jets in the 2009 NFL Draft after playing his collegiate career at Southern California. He retired in 2019 after stints with five other teams and joined Fox as an NFL analyst in 2021.