President Donald Trump discussed former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was charged in a weekend altercation with a truck driver in Indianapolis, calling him “a nice guy.”
The Context
Fox Sports analyst Sanchez was initially charged with battery with injury, public intoxication and unlawful entry of a vehicle following his arrest in Indianapolis on Saturday, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office said. Prosecutor Ryan Mears later announced a felony charge of battery involving serious bodily injury, which carries a potential sentence of up to six years in prison, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
“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 receiving just incredibly significant injuries,” Mears told reporters.
According to a police affidavit based on hotel video footage of the scuffle and the driver’s statement to authorities, Sanchez accosted the driver of a box truck that backed into the loading docks at a hotel.
The confrontation occurred outside the vehicle before the driver defensively pulled out a knife, police said. Sanchez was hospitalized with stab wounds to his upper right torso, per the affidavit, and the truck driver had a cut to his left cheek.
What To Know
Trump was asked about Sanchez and his past relationship with him during an interview on Newsmax TV’s Greg Kelly Reports.
“It’s too bad. He’s a nice guy. I don’t know what happened. Something bad happened. Something a little crazy happened,” the president said. “I can only report that he was a nice guy; I know him a little bit.”
Sanchez was in Indianapolis to provide commentary for Sunday’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and Las Vegas Raiders. Sanchez played in the NFL for 10 seasons for the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins before retiring in June 2019. He appeared on ABC and ESPN before joining Fox Sports as a game analyst in 2021.
The truck driver works for a company specializing in commercial cooking oil recycling and disposal, and had parked in an alley near a hotel loading dock, the AP reported. The driver’s family said he was “OK” and that they “are talking to lawyers.” Media reports on Monday indicated that the man was suing Sanchez and Fox.
Newsweek contacted Fox for comment via email outside office hours.
Sanchez remained in the hospital on Monday and was listed in stable condition.
What People Are Saying
Mears, in a news conference: “The thing that stands out to us is this was a situation that did not need to occur. The allegations involve a 38-year-old man becoming involved in an altercation with a 69-year-old man who sustained significant and very severe injuries as a result of that altercation.”
Sanchez’s brother, Nick Sanchez, in a statement Monday, as reported by several outlets: “This has been a deeply distressing time for everyone involved. Mark and our family are incredibly grateful for the concern, love, and support we’ve received over the past few days.”
What Happens Next
Sanchez had been scheduled for a hearing Tuesday on the original lesser charges but it was rescheduled to November 4.
