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Who is Perry Tole? Mark Sanchez's alleged victim reportedly said “faith guided” him during alleged attack

Perry Tole is speaking out about the altercation between him and Marck Sanchez, leaving him severely injured.
posted by Vaishnavi Sah
Friday 10/10/2025 at 8:33AM EDT
  • Fox TV analyst Mark Sanchez looks on prior to the game between the Washington Football Team and Philadelphia Eagles (Image via Getty)
    Fox TV analyst Mark Sanchez looks on prior to the game between the Washington Football Team and Philadelphia Eagles (Image via Getty)

    Perry Tole, the alleged victim who stabbed Mark Sanchez, claimed that "faith guided my hands to protect myself" during the altercation.

    For those unversed, Tole was driving a cooking oil recycling collection truck in Indianapolis around 12 a.m. on October 4 and first spotted Sanchez when he was parking at a loading dock in an alley between the Westin and Marriott downtown hotels.

    According to WXIN-TV, both security video and Tole indicate that Sanchez was behaving erratically and doing wind sprints before confronting Perry about his truck's location. Per a witness identified as B.B., both men were trying to record each other, and Sanchez allegedly tried to enter Perry's truck before throwing him to the ground. The 69-year-old later fought back with pepper spray and eventually a knife in self-defense.

    "I'm fairly positive he has never been in a fight in his entire life. He's a very peaceful man and in this situation I think faith guided him, as he told me, 'Faith guided my hands to protect myself,'" said Tole's longtime friend Gregg Keesling.

    Per the outlet, Tole admitted to plunging the knife "two or three times" into Sanchez's chest before both men were hospitalized.

    "Perry doesn't fight. 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,'" Gregg said.

    Tole Perry is a native of Jamaica who emigrated to the United States and became a citizen in September 2025. According to Keesling, Perry was a guitar player in Jamaica and began playing the guitar and producing music as he moved to the United States.

    "It's not quite reggae. It’s a fusion of rock and roll and we call him Jamaica’s Jimi Hendrix and he plays left-handed and he’s just talented. That’s the Perry Tole that I know. I knew him in Jamaica, where we have a violent country there from time to time and Perry avoided those," he said.

    Per the outlet, Perry put his music career on hold to care for his sister-in-law, who was shot in the head in 2011 during a convenience store robbery.

    "It takes a good man to do something like that. 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," Gregg added.

    Keesling also revealed that Perry is "beat up pretty bad, I think, both emotionally and physically" and needs some time to heal.

    "He needs to heal. He’s hurt pretty bad. His son is getting married this weekend. I don’t think he’s going to be able to attend the wedding because of the injuries that he has," he added.

    About Mark Sanchez's arrest

    According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Mark Sanchez, who was in "stable condition" after receiving medical care from an area hospital after the altercation, was arrested on October 4 on three misdemeanor charges: battery with injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, and public intoxication.

    Later on Monday, the battery charge was upgraded to a felony, per People Magazine.

    "I don't care who you are. I don’t care what you do for a living. I don’t care where you live. If you come into our city, commit violence, we will use all the tools that are at our disposal to hold you accountable," Indianapolis police chief Chris Bailey told reporters on Monday, October 6.

    Per The New York Times, Perry Tole's family is suing the Fox Sports analyst and former NFL quarterback for punitive and compensatory damages, claiming that the attack left him permanently disfigured.

    Stay tuned for more updates.

    TOPICS: Perry Tole, Mark Sanchez


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