Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez speaks out after jail booking, hospital discharge

INDIANAPOLIS (WXIN/WTTV) — Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez has been discharged from an Indianapolis hospital. A short time later, on Sunday morning, he was spotted walking into the Marion County Community Justice Campus in exclusive video captured by Nexstar's WXIN/WTTV.

Sanchez had been in the hospital since the morning of Oct. 4, when he was allegedly stabbed by a truck driver in downtown Indianapolis. Sanchez was in town to call last weekend's Indianapolis Colts-Las Vegas Raiders game for FOX Sports.

Upon his release from the hospital on Sunday, Sanchez was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was formally booked. WXIN/WTTV was able to obtain the booking photo for Sanchez.

Sanchez was booked into jail on the following charges:

• Battery resulting in bodily injury — a Class A Misdemeanor
• Unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle — a Class B Misdemeanor
• Public intoxication that endangers the life of another — a Class B Misdemeanor
• Battery resulting in serious bodily injury — a Level 5 Felony

WXIN's Russ McQuaid spoke with Sanchez after he left the justice center Sunday morning, marking the first time the former NFL quarterback has spoken on camera since being hospitalized.

In the exchange, which you can watch in the video player below, McQuaid asked Sanchez if there was anything he wanted to say to the people of Indianapolis.

"I'm just focused on my recovery and I just want to thank the first responders, Eskanazi hospital, [the] Marion County Sheriff, and the Indianapolis Police Department, metro PD," Sanchez said. But I'm focused on my recovery, and I just want to see my wife, I want to see my son, my two baby girls."

"There'll be a day to answer all these questions, and unfortunately, today is not that day," he added.

McQuaid then asked if Sanchez had anything he wanted to say to Perry Tole, the truck driver who was allegedly attacked by Sanchez and seriously injured. Tole told police he stabbed Sanchez in self-defense, due to fearing for his life, after first trying to use pepper spray to ward off Sanchez.

Sanchez didn't speak on Tole, however, and instead thanked the surgeon who saved his life.

"I guess the real thing here is I just want to thank Dr. Mosler, the surgeon. She saved my life. So I'm grateful for that," Sanchez said.

Truck driver files lawsuit, additional charged filed against Sanchez

A lawsuit filed last week identified the man Sanchez allegedly fought as 69-year-old Perry Tole. In the lawsuit, which named Sanchez and Fox Corporation as defendants, Tole and his attorneys alleged that Fox Sports "knew or should have known about Defendant Sanchez's unfitness as an employee, propensity for drinking and/or harmful conduct."

WXIN/WTTV obtained the following photos of the other party involved in the fight with Sanchez. These images may be graphic for some; viewer's discretion is advised.

Originally, Sanchez was only charged with three misdemeanors. In an Oct. 6 press conference, however, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears confirmed that he was tacking a Level 5 Felony charge onto Sanchez's ledger.

Mears indicated that he added an extra charge to Sanchez's record because court documents reported that Sanchez was allegedly the aggressor in the fight in which he was stabbed. Mears added that the man Sanchez allegedly fought sustained serious injuries during the encounter, which also played a role in the decision to bring additional charges against Sanchez.

In his press conference, Mears indicated that a suspect like Sanchez would typically be subjected to an investigative blood draw. As of Oct. 6, Mears could not confirm if Sanchez had undergone a blood draw or if the results of such testing were available.

According to court records released Oct. 5, Tole told police Sanchez smelled of alcohol during their encounter. Those documents also indicate that the fight between Sanchez and Tole broke out near Loughmiller's Pub and Eatery. One of the pub's employees rendered medical aid to Sanchez after he was allegedly stabbed by Tole.

Court records report that police first became aware of the fight between Sanchez and Tole around 12:35 a.m. on Oct. 4. At that time, officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department found Sanchez suffering from several stab wounds to his upper torso outside Loughmiller's Pub on West Washington Street.

Upon further investigation, police found Tole, who reportedly had multiple cuts on his face, in a nearby alley. Tole told investigators that he was in the area when the fight occurred because he was collecting used cooking oil for Restaurant Technologies, a company he works for.

Tole added that he had parked his truck in an alley just off Maryland Street between the Westin and Marriott hotels in downtown Indianapolis. Sometime after he parked his truck, Tole told investigators that Sanchez approached it and climbed inside.

Once Sanchez climbed into Tole's truck, Tole attempted to call his supervisor. Sanchez allegedly prevented him from doing so.

Per court records, surveillance video showed Sanchez and Tole circling the truck before a struggle broke out. Tole told police he used pepper spray to try to repel Sanchez during the scuffle.

When Sanchez continued advancing through the pepper spray, Tole stabbed him several times in self-defense, according to court records.

During their investigation, police recovered the knife Tole allegedly used during the fight.

The court documents released on Oct. 5 indicated that police attempted to interview Sanchez at an Indianapolis hospital. He told police he could only remember "grabbing for a window" and could not recall who allegedly attacked him or where the incident supposedly took place.

It is unclear if police have been able to interview Sanchez in the days since Oct. 5.

Surveillance video obtained by TMZ showed Sanchez walking around downtown Indianapolis before the fight happened. That video also captured a bloodied Sanchez leaving the area after the fight.

On Oct. 5, a court set Sanchez's jail bond at $300, which was posted on his behalf later that day.

On Oct. 6, noted Indianapolis defense attorney James Voyles appeared in court on Sanchez's behalf. Voyles has worked with notable athletes like Sanchez in the past. According to The Indiana Lawyer, Voyles represented boxer Mike Tyson during a 1990s rape case.

Sanchez's team filed a petition to allow him to travel outside of Indiana as his criminal case is litigated, which was granted.

Initially, it seemed Sanchez would not be booked at the Marion County Jail. On Oct. 5, a source with the Marion County Sheriff's Office told WXIN/WTTV that Sanchez was "processed" by deputies while he was at the hospital, indicating Sanchez didn't need to be taken to the Marion County Jail to be booked and have a mugshot taken.

That information, however, was given to WXIN/WTTV before Mears added the Level 5 Felony charge to Sanchez's record. The maximum penalty for a Level 5 Felony in Indiana is a six-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000.

The next event scheduled in Sanchez's court case is set for Nov. 5. It's a pretrial conference that will be held at 1 p.m.

Sanchez played quarterback at USC from 2005-08. The New York Jets selected him fifth overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He would spend four seasons with the Jets before spending two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, and one each with the Dallas Cowboys and the now-Washington Commanders.