7 hours ago
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The elderly man who stabbed former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez in an Indianapolis alley has claimed that 'faith guided his hands' in a desperate act of self-defense.
Perry Tole, 69, himself suffered brutal lacerations in the bloody brawl with Sanchez in the early hours of last Saturday morning, in an incident which has since seen the Fox NFL analyst charged with a Level 5 felony.
As he recovers at home after the shocking confrontation, Tole has now spoken out and told a friend: 'Faith guided my hands to protect myself.'
In an interview with Fox 59, Tole's longtime friend Greg Keesling claimed that the grease truck driver in a 'mild-mannered man who shies away from trouble'.
'Perry doesn't fight,' he revealed. 'In fact, I think this is probably the first fight that Perry’s ever been in in his entire life. As a matter of fact, he told me that last night. He said, "I’m gonna go on record. I don’t fight."'
Keesling claims that Tole put a previous music career on hold to support his wife and sister-in-law, after the latter was shot in the head during a convenience story robbery back in 2011.
Perry Tole, a grease truck driver, is seen lying in a hospital bed, covered in blood with a huge gash on his face and a brace around his neck
Ex-NFL star Mark Sanchez could face up to 16 years in prison after his violent altercation
'Perry works in recycling because he needs the money to take care of his wife’s family. He’s that kind of guy who is very connected and committed to helping others,' the friend added.
The unsavory incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning, after Sanchez, 39, was observed acting 'erratically' and running 'wind sprints' during a night out ahead of covering the Colts' NFL game.
It is alleged that Sanchez took issue with Tole parking his truck in a loading dock while he collected cooking oil on his night shift, as it was disrupting his impromptu workout.
Sanchez, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound former quarterback, is said to have then pummeled Tole and slammed him to the ground, before Tole used mace and then stabbed his assailant two to three times in the chest.
Former USC and NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez, right, with his wife Perry and son Daniel
Loughmiller's Pub & Eatery bartender Scott Bennett told Fox59.com that Sanchez thought he'd been shot following the stabbing early Saturday morning in an Indianapolis ally
The ex-NFL star was then seen stumbling back toward the Loughmiller's Pub and Eatery, where he was given medical attention and rushed to hospital.
While there, he was detained and charged with a felony battery and three misdemeanor charges, and it has been reported that he could face up to 16 years in prison if found guilty.
Tole's family, meanwhile, released a shocking series of images of the truck driver in his own hospital bed, with a serious laceration to the side of his face and a neck brace.
'He’s beat up pretty bad, I think, both emotionally and physically, he needs some time,' his friend told Fox 59.
In a heartbreaking twist of fate, it was also revealed that Tole's son is scheduled to get married this weekend.
'He needs to heal. He’s hurt pretty bad,' Keesling added, revealing: 'His son is getting married this weekend.
Sanchez was in Indianapolis to commentate on the Colts NFL game when the incident occurred
'I don’t think he’s going to be able to attend the wedding because of the injuries that he has.'
In his lawsuit, filed on Monday, Tole sued Sanchez for assault/battery as well as the ex-quarterback's employer, Fox, for negligent hiring, retention and supervision. He is asking for compensatory and punitive damages.
Tole claims in his filing that he has suffered severe permanent disfigurement, loss of function, other physical injuries, emotional distress and other damages as a result of the altercation.
According to the driver, Fox 'knew or should have known' about Sanchez's 'unfitness as an employee, propensity for drinking and/or harmful conduct.'
