Former NFL quarterback and present analyst Mark Sanchez is facing a felony charge for his function in an altercation that led to the previous New York Jet being stabbed early Saturday morning.
Marion County, Indiana, prosecutor Ryan Mears mentioned Monday that additional investigation by police led to the extra extreme charge. Sanchez had initially been charged with three misdemeanors as part of the incident. Mears mentioned he now faces a charge of felony battery involving severe bodily damage, which carries a most sentence of between one and 6 years in jail.
According to Mears, the dispute between Sanchez and a 69-year-old truck driver started over a parking area.
“You have the allegations of a 38-year-old man becoming involved in an altercation with a 69-year-old man who sustained significant, very severe injuries as a result of that altercation,” Mears mentioned. “ … We are literally talking about people fighting over a parking space and/or a dispute about where people are parking, and it resulted in someone just incredibly significant injuries.”
Sanchez was in Indianapolis to work as an analyst on FOX Sports’ broadcast of the Indianapolis Colts sport towards the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. An affidavit seen by NCS mentioned that Sanchez was initially taken to a neighborhood hospital in important situation in the early hours of Saturday morning. FOX Sports reported Saturday afternoon that Sanchez was in secure situation.
Mears mentioned an up to date affidavit was submitted by police that contained extra particulars which subsequently led to the felony charge.
NCS Sports has reached out to an legal professional for Sanchez for touch upon the allegations.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police chief Chris Bailey mentioned, “We’re lucky that no one’s dead right now as a result of this incident that involved a knife.”
According to a brand new affidavit filed Monday, Sanchez was operating in an alley close to the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown when he approached the 69-year-old man. The man works for an organization that exchanges industrial frying oil and was parked in a loading dock space of a lodge.
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, which captured the incident and confirmed Sanchez approaching the person’s truck and starting a dialog, the affidavit mentioned. NCS has reached out to the lodge to overview the footage.
The man instructed detectives that Sanchez – whom he didn’t acknowledge – smelled of alcohol and was slurring his speech.
He additionally mentioned that Sanchez had climbed up into the cab of the truck regardless of the person insisting he mustn’t enter. The footage reviewed by detectives confirmed Sanchez grabbing the person and throwing him up towards a wall.
The man instructed detectives that he pepper sprayed Sanchez and, when Sanchez continued to advance towards him, the person pulled out his knife and struck Sanchez a number of instances.
According to the affidavit, the person was quoted saying, “This guy is trying to kill me.”
The man instructed police that he took out his knife and stabbed Sanchez two or 3 times after which fell into the dumpster and a few pallets that had been on the bottom. He mentioned he felt he was in a life-or-death state of affairs as Sanchez was on prime of him, earlier than ultimately getting again to his ft.
“Somehow, (the man) made it to his feet, and when Mr. Sanchez came at (the man, he) stabbed Mr. Sanchez the last time. The next thing (the man) knew was Mr. Sanchez looked at him with a look of shock, he slowly turned around and Mr. Sanchez took off northbound in the alley,” the affidavit states.
Sanchez later instructed a detective that he might barely keep in mind something from the incident, and that he didn’t know who it concerned or the place it occurred.
Police had been known as to the Loughmiller’s Pub and Eatery on W Washington St, lower than a mile from the Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium, and located Sanchez with a number of stab wounds to his higher torso, the affidavit mentioned. They additionally positioned a second man with a laceration to his left cheek.
Prosecutors have numerous video proof concerning the incident, Mears mentioned Monday. That proof might result in extra fees down the road.
“Where this incident took place was an area of the city which was very well covered by surveillance footage,” the prosecutor mentioned. “There are a number of angles of surveillance footage which seize the occasions that occurred. And in addition, we had a lot of civilian witnesses who got here ahead with supplied details about what happened for us, although we want extra info, and chief’s workforce is engaged on that.
“And once we receive that additional information, additional charges might be appropriate to file in a case like this.”
Among the preliminary misdemeanor fees filed towards Sanchez was public intoxication. Bailey declined to reply a reporter’s query concerning the former quarterback’s blood alcohol degree, however mentioned the investigation is ongoing.
“Just because charges are filed doesn’t mean the case or the investigation stops, so the investigators will be looking to all those things,” Bailey mentioned, “and I think the medical records are going to be extremely important for both individuals to help the prosecutor make a charging decision – to see if there’s another charge that needs to be added, but also to see if there’s if there were some sort of altered state of mind of the individuals involved in this incident.”
This story has been up to date with extra info.