Mark Sanchez may have been under the influence of cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana and alcohol when he allegedly attacked a truck driver last year, his accuser has claimed in a bombshell court filing.
The ex-NFL quarterback, 39, is set to stand trial over the incident involving 69-year-old Perry Tole in Indianapolis, which briefly left both parties in hospital with severe wounds back in October.
Sanchez, who suffered multiple stab wounds to his upper right torso during the near-fatal brawl, is facing a felony battery charge along with several misdemeanors after Tole accused him of entering his truck without permission and initiating the fight.
And in a new document filed last month in US District Court, the alleged victim’s attorneys said that a ‘preliminary investigation’ has led them to believe that Sanchez may have taken ‘multiple illegal substances’ prior to the incident.
‘[This is] including but not limited to cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl, and alcohol,’ the filing reads. ‘Plaintiff has cause to believe that one or more of these substances may have been consumed in one of Huse’s establishments, which caused or contributed to Sanchez’s impairment and his subsequent negligent and/or knowing conduct.’
Tole’s attorneys did not provide any evidence to support these claims and are instead calling for a further investigation to confirm the extent of Sanchez’s intoxication and whether any defendants had knowledge of him using additional intoxicants.
Mark Sanchez is accused of being under the influence of illegal drugs when he allegedly assaulted a truck driver last year
The ex-NFL quarterback is facing a felony battery charge along with several misdemeanors
Sanchez, pictured with wife Perry Mattfeld, is set to stand trial over the incident next month
In a statement provided to Daily Mail, Sanchez’s attorney Andrew M. McNeil said: ‘These are allegations in a civil filing, nothing more, and they should be treated accordingly. Allegations are not evidence. The truth will be determined by facts and evidence presented at trial, and we look forward to presenting them at the appropriate time.’
The former New York Jets star was in Indianapolis to cover the Colts’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders for Fox the following day when the altercation with Tole occurred.
After briefly being booked into jail upon his release from hospital, he was fired by the network in early November.
A police affidavit alleges that Sanchez, smelling of alcohol, accosted Tole, who had backed his truck into a hotel’s loading docks in downtown Indianapolis on October 4.
Tole claims in a lawsuit that Sanchez entered the truck without permission, then physically blocked and shoved Tole, who then doused Sanchez with pepper spray.
When Sanchez advanced after being sprayed, Tole pulled a knife to defend himself, authorities said.
A picture of Tole that circulated online following the incident showed him in a neck brace on a hospital bed, covered in blood with a deep slash to the side of his face.
Sanchez’s trial was initially scheduled for December, but has since been pushed back to March after a request to delay from his team was granted.
Tole, who has claimed self-defense and has not been charged, is also suing Sanchez and Fox Sports for unspecified damages.