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Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez was accused of assault causing harm, being drunk in public, and unlawful entry of a vehicle after an early morning incident in the city that left him hospitalized with knife injuries.

Key Facts of the Confrontation

Based on an affidavit, the Fox Sports analyst confronted a senior delivery man at a hotel delivery area. The older man stated he believed “this guy is trying to kill me” and deployed a defensive spray to defend himself. After it did not stop the former athlete from advancing on him, the driver said he stabbed Sanchez “multiple times”. Sanchez then reportedly pushed the man against a trash container before a look of shock came across his face and he “took off”.

Detectives have reviewed video footage of the event. Bystanders said that both individuals filmed each other with their cellphones during the incident.

Police wrote in the legal document, “Mr Sanchez is seen chasing [the man] and the video depicts Mr Sanchez seizing and hurling [the man] towards the wall of the Westin hotel.”

Origin of the Conflict

The confrontation allegedly started after the analyst and the trucker disagreed about a parking spot.

Consequences and Harm

This altercation left Sanchez with knife injuries to his upper body, while the other man suffered lacerations to his face. Sanchez was treated in hospital for his wounds, which were non-fatal, before he was taken into custody on Saturday. He is due to appear at a hearing on Tuesday morning.

According to the legal filing, he told police “all he could remember was grabbing for a window.” He could not recall who stabbed him or the location of the event.

Official Response

“What happened was avoidable,” the county attorney said in a statement. “Starting as a disagreement between a 38-year-old former professional athlete and a senior citizen ought not to have turned into violence or left anyone seriously injured. As with any case, we will follow the facts and the law in pursuit of justice.”

Career Repercussions

The analyst was in Indianapolis to report on the Colts’ game with the opposing team on Sunday afternoon as part of his Fox Sports duties. Another former NFL quarterback stepped in for him in the booth for Sunday’s game. The network acknowledged the incident in passing on their sports program, with a presenter saying: “we are all still trying to wrap our heads around it … we wish the best for him, his family and everyone affected”.

Sanchez began with the network in recent years and also works on sports studio shows.

Previous Career

Prior to becoming an analyst, the athlete played a decade in the NFL with multiple franchises, including the New York Jets, who drafted him early in the 2009 draft. He later played for the Philadelphia Eagles and a third franchise. He ended his playing career in mid-2019 and soon after started at ESPN’s college football coverage before moving to Fox.

Off the field, he married his wife, Perry, in last year. The pair shares three children.