🔗 Share this article

Ex-professional football player the sports analyst has been charged with assault causing harm, being drunk in public, and illegally entering a car following a Saturday altercation in the city that left him hospitalized with stab wounds.

Key Facts of the Confrontation

According to an affidavit, Sanchez approached a senior delivery man at a hotel delivery area. The older man claimed he thought “this guy is trying to kill me” and used pepper spray to protect himself. After it failed to halt Sanchez from advancing on him, the driver reported stabbing Sanchez “multiple times”. He then allegedly threw the driver against a dumpster before a look of shock appeared on his face and he “ran away”.

Detectives have reviewed recorded video of the incident. Witnesses reported that both individuals recorded one another with their mobile phones throughout the altercation.

Officials stated in the affidavit, “The suspect is seen running after [the man] and the video depicts Mr Sanchez grabbing and throwing [the man] towards the wall of the hotel.”

How It Started

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

Consequences and Harm

This altercation resulted in knife injuries to his upper body, while the other man sustained lacerations to his facial area. Sanchez was hospitalized for his wounds, which were non-fatal, before he was arrested on Saturday. He is scheduled to appear at a hearing on the coming week.

According to the affidavit, Sanchez told police “the only thing he recalled was reaching for a window.” He could not recall the identity of his assailant or where the incident occurred.

Authorities’ Statement

“What happened was avoidable,” the county attorney said in a statement. “Starting as a dispute between a 38-year-old former professional athlete and a 69-year-old man ought not to have turned into violence or caused severe harm to anyone. As with any case, we will adhere to evidence and regulations in pursuit of justice.”

Professional Impact

Sanchez was in Indianapolis to report on the Colts’ game with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon as part of his broadcasting responsibilities. A fellow ex-player stepped in for him in the booth for Sunday’s game. The network addressed the situation briefly on Sunday’s pregame show, with a host saying: “we are all still trying to wrap our heads around it … we wish the best for Mark, his family and all those involved”.

Sanchez began with the network in 2021 and also contributes to sports studio shows.

Background

Before his broadcasting career, Sanchez played a decade in the league with several teams, including the New York Jets, who took him with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft. He subsequently joined the another team and a third franchise. He retired in mid-2019 and soon after started at a sports network before transitioning to Fox.

Off the field, Sanchez married his wife, his spouse, in 2023. The pair has a family of five.