Mark Sanchez stabbing: Brother of FOX analyst releases statement on incident

The brother of FOX analyst and former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez has released a statement following the stabbing incident on Saturday night. He spoke to TMZ Sports on Monday.

“This has been a deeply distressing time for everyone involved,” Nick Sanchez told Michael Babcock. “Mark and our family are incredibly grateful for the concern, love, and support we’ve received over the past few days.”

“Mark remains under medical care for the serious injuries he sustained and is focused on his recovery as the legal process continues. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the first responders and medical staff.”

The former QB was reportedly in critical, then stable condition, after being stabbed in an altercation downtown in Indianapolis early Saturday morning. However, later reports from police revealed that Sanchez was the one at fault despite being hospitalized with stab wounds. Sanchez was arrested at the hospital while in recovery.

Now, Sanchez is reportedly facing a Level 5 felony battery charge that could put him behind bars for up to six years if sentenced. Perry Tole, the 69-year-old victim of the alleged Sanchez assault, is reportedly suing him and FOX for compensation related to his injuries. Sanchez is scheduled to appear in a Marion County court Tuesday.

Tole is referred to as “P.T.” in the charging documents, which are a combination of witness accounts and surveillance footage gathered at and from near the scene. Occurring near the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown hotel, surveillance video showed Sanchez appear to be the aggressor and approach Tole — a delivery driver — who was parked in a loading dock connected to the neighboring Westin Hotel.

Sanchez allegedly took exception to Tole parking there, and the interaction quickly began to escalate to violent levels. Tole believed that “this guy is trying to kill me,” per the affidavit. This is where the knife was pulled, and Tole stabbed Sanchez “two or three times” before being thrown into the side of a dumpster by the former NFL QB.

The assault didn’t end there, as the former NFL QB allegedly continued to assault Tole despite the delivery driver being on the ground. At this point, he stabbed Sanchez again, which ended the altercation and caused Sanchez to flee. Sanchez found police outside of a nearby bar, revealing his stab wounds to them before being taken to the hospital and later arrested by officers.