Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez is now facing a Level 5 felony battery charge involving serious bodily injury, which carries a potential prison sentence of one to six years, according to Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears.
Mears upgraded the charge after receiving new information about the victim’s injuries, which were more severe than initially reported. The amended probable cause affidavit states the victim sustained a “severe laceration to the side of his face, penetrating all the way through his left cheek,” with pain described as a “10 on a scale of 1 to 10.”
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Chief Chris Bailey made it clear that Sanchez would not receive any special treatment, saying, “I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what you do for a living, I don’t care where you live, if you come into our city, commit violence, we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold you accountable.” Bailey also noted the severity of the incident, adding, “We’re lucky that no one’s dead right now” given that a knife was involved.
The 38-year-old former New York Jets quarterback was initially charged with three misdemeanors—battery resulting in injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle—following an early Saturday morning altercation in downtown Indianapolis with a 69-year-old delivery driver.
Police reports indicate that the delivery driver was unloading fryer oil at a hotel loading dock when Sanchez approached, apparently upset about where the truck was parked. After a heated exchange, the driver attempted to use pepper spray on Sanchez. When that failed, the driver claimed he feared for his life and stabbed Sanchez multiple times.
Both men were treated at the hospital. Surveillance footage reviewed by authorities confirmed the confrontation and led to Sanchez’s arrest.
Sanchez, who played nine seasons in the NFL before becoming a sports analyst, has not yet commented on the incident. Reports say he told investigators he has limited memory of the events that night.
