The 69-year-old truck driver who stabbed Mark Sanchez has opened up to a friend after surviving the bloody Indianapolis fight that left both men wounded
09:54 ET, 10 Oct 2025
Mark Sanchez makes a speech
View 2 Images
The man Mark Sanchez stabbed has spoken about the incident
The 69-year-old Indianapolis man who stabbed ex-NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez has spoken via a friend after injuries he sustained during the incident initially left him unable to speak. The victim believes that divine intervention played a role in his ability to escape from the incident alive.
The man, later identified as Perry Tole, was released from Methodist Hospital after undergoing treatment for deep lacerations to his face and neck. Photos taken from the hospital showed him covered in dried blood, his cheek ripped open to the jawline, and his clothes saturated from the violent conflict between himself and Sanchez behind a downtown Indianapolis hotel.
Article continues below
As he recovers at home, Tole says he's still processing what happened but stands by his actions as self-defense. "Faith guided my hands to protect myself," he told close friend Greg Keesling, who described the Jamaican-born truck driver as a peaceful man who has probably never been in a fight in his entire life.
Article continues below
READ MORE: Travis Kelce had valid reason to deny young Chiefs fan's autograph requestREAD MORE: $3.4 billion NFL stadium finally under construction after long wait
"He's beat up pretty bad, both emotionally and physically," Keesling told FOX59. "He needs to heal. He's hurt, and he's sad that he might miss his son's wedding this weekend. But he's grateful to be alive.”
Tole was described as a devout Christian and U.S. citizen who works for Restaurant Technologies, collecting used cooking oil.
He was completing a routine route when Sanchez, who was reportedly intoxicated, confronted him about blocking a loading dock. Reports say Sanchez threw Tole down twice and slammed him against a dumpster.
Tole used pepper spray that did not stop the former Jets quarterback before drawing a pocketknife and stabbing Sanchez, what he recalled as 'two to three times in the torso,' according to Keesling.
Surveillance footage later showed Sanchez stumbling down the street and grabbing his chest in a blood-soaked shirt before collapsing inside Loughmiller's Pub & Eatery, where a bartender tended to his injuries and called 911.
Audio of the call was later released to the public.
Mark Sanchez joined FOX Sports as a game analyst in 2021
View 2 Images
Mark Sanchez joined FOX's Sports desk as a game analyst in 2021(Image: Getty Images)
Police found Tole nearby with severe wounds to his head, jaw, and neck. Both were rushed to the hospital.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office has since charged Sanchez with felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury and three misdemeanors, including public intoxication and disorderly conduct.
Article continues below
Sanchez's court hearing was rescheduled for Nov. 4, as the ex-NFL quarterback has been hospitalized and in stable condition since Monday.
The LA Times reported that Tole filed a civil lawsuit in Marion Superior Court against Sanchez and Fox Sports, where Sanchez works as a football analyst.
The suit alleges that Sanchez caused Tole permanent facial disfigurement, loss of the ability to speak, emotional distress, and other reasons. Tole is also suing Fox for both compensatory and punitive damages.