Former NFL quarterback and Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez was charged Sunday in a downtown Indianapolis fight that left him hospitalized — an incident that quickly drew national attention and prompted Gov. Mike Braun and Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith to post, then delete, public safety criticism before Sanchez’s arrest was announced.
Sanchez, 38, who was in the city to call Sunday’s Raiders-Colts game, was hospitalized with stab wounds after the altercation early Saturday with a 69-year-old truck driver. The driver was treated for a facial laceration, police said.
Sanchez faces three misdemeanor counts: battery resulting in bodily injury, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle and public intoxication, according to charging documents filed in Marion County Superior Court.
“This incident should never have happened,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement. “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.”
No attorney was listed for Sanchez in the state’s MyCase court document system. His initial hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
How the fight unfolded
According to a probable cause affidavit, the fight began around 12:30 a.m. Saturday when Sanchez confronted the man, who was parked in his work truck at the Westin Hotel to collect used cooking oil.
The man told police that Sanchez approached him and told him he could not be at the loading dock. The man initially assumed Sanchez could be a hotel manager due to being "well dressed and groomed." The man was not using his hearing aids, he told police, so he got closer to Sanchez. He said Sanchez “smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred.”
Then, he felt the situation had "escalated" and he was in "physical danger" when Sanchez shoved him.
Police reviewed video of the alley from the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. The video shows Sanchez opening the truck’s driver door and later shoving the man against a wall before the men fought near a dumpster, according to the probable cause affidavit.
The driver told police he believed “this guy is trying to kill me,” so he used pepper spray and then a knife in self-defense.
Sanchez sustained several stab wounds to his torso. Both men were transported to Indianapolis hospitals for treatment.
Sanchez was later arrested at Eskenazi Hospital.The truck driver was not charged.
Braun and Beckwith criticize city leaders
The incident drew national attention. Before police confirmed Sanchez’s arrest, Gov. Mike Braun and Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith posted on social media criticizing Indianapolis leaders for what they described as worsening public safety.
Braun wrote in a since-deleted post that when Indianapolis makes national news for violence, “it hurts our city and our state.”
Beckwith posted that “Indianapolis is sliding into lawlessness because local leaders refuse to prosecute criminals and protect citizens” and called for the General Assembly to expand state authority over law enforcement. Beckwith later removed his comment, replacing it with an emoji.
WFYI requested comment from Braun’s and Beckwith’s offices Saturday but received no response as of Sunday.
On Sunday, Prosecutor Mears posted a message directed at Braun.
"The governor attempted to exploit senseless violence for political gain without knowing any facts," he wrote on X. "The truth didn’t fit his narrative and he deleted his tweet."
Saturday evening, IMPD Chief Chris Bailey praised officers for their work on the case and for being a “reliable presence in our city.”
“Proud of our IMPD officers and detectives who stayed focused on our mission and not the noise,” he said on X.
State and local Republican leaders, including Braun, have frequently criticized Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Mears over public safety. In July, Braun approved Indiana State Police support for local police after a mass shooting downtown killed two juveniles and injured five others.
Sanchez’s football career
Sanchez, a Long Beach, Calif., native, played 10 seasons in the NFL before retiring in 2019. He joined Fox Sports as a game analyst in 2021 after stints with ABC and ESPN. He played collegiately at Southern California and was drafted fifth overall by the New York Jets in 2009.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Eric Weddle is WFYI's education editor. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org or follow him on X at @ericweddle.
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