Crime
38-year-old Mark Sanchez arrested in Indianapolis stabbing incident
INDIANAPOLIS — Detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) are investigating a physical disturbance that occurred near Senate Avenue and West Washington Street on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at approximately 12:30 a.m.
According to investigators, the incident involved two adult males and resulted in one individual sustaining laceration injuries and the other suffering wounds consistent with a stabbing.
Both men received medical attention at local hospitals.
The individual with apparent stab wounds remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Preliminary findings indicate the altercation was an isolated incident between the two men and not a random act of violence.
Detectives have confirmed that both individuals involved are not residents of the Indianapolis area.
The IMPD Aggravated Assault Unit has obtained and reviewed video footage related to the incident as part of the ongoing investigation.
Following further investigation and in consultation with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, IMPD detectives arrested 38-year-old Mark Sanchez for his alleged involvement.
Sanchez, who remains hospitalized, was arrested on preliminary charges of:
- Battery with injury (misdemeanor)
- Unlawful entry of a motor vehicle (misdemeanor)
- Public intoxication (misdemeanor)
Sanchez has not yet been booked into the Marion County Adult Detention Center, as he remains under medical care.
All individuals connected to this case have been identified, and no additional suspects are being sought.
The case will be presented to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office for a final charging decision.
The IMPD Public Affairs Office noted that it is department policy not to release the identities of victims or suspects unless an individual has been formally charged, arrested, or is being actively sought.
Authorities emphasize that an arrest is merely an accusation, and Mark Sanchez is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Probable cause affidavits related to this incident are not released by IMPD and must be obtained directly from the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office or the Marion County Clerk’s Office.
Crime
Attorneys Argue Jacob Bard Actions in Deadly Kentucky State University Shooting Were Legally Justified
Attorneys representing Jacob Bard, the man accused in a deadly shooting at Kentucky State University, contend that his actions were legally justified and undertaken in defense of his family amid what they describe as a violent and uncontrolled situation on campus.
In a press release issued Monday afternoon, Bard’s legal team from the Indiana-based law firm Danks & Danks asserted that Bard “was completely justified under the law in his use of deadly force.”
Bard is accused of fatally shooting one Kentucky State University student and wounding another during an incident at a campus dormitory.
According to the attorneys’ statement, Bard traveled to Kentucky State University after his younger son reported being attacked on multiple occasions.
The release alleges that on Monday, December 8, a group of approximately 20 to 30 individuals gathered outside the son’s dormitory, some allegedly armed, and began beating on the door. Campus police were reportedly called to respond to the disturbance.
The following morning, Bard and his wife met with Kentucky State University police. While the attorneys stated that officers appeared sincere in their efforts, they claimed it was evident to the family that campus police were “ill-prepared to deal with the out-of-control and violent environment.”
The legal team further alleges that both the university and its police department failed to adequately address what they described as multiple armed and violent felonies against Bard’s sons, ages 18 and 19, as well as other students in the days preceding the shooting.
Those alleged incidents included burglaries and armed assaults.
Later that morning, the family attended a meeting at Young Hall with campus police and a university dean.
According to the release, the meeting left the family convinced that the university would not be able to maintain a safe environment, prompting them to begin removing the son’s belongings from the dormitory.
When the family returned to the residence hall, the attorneys claim that individuals previously involved in the alleged assaults were present, despite assurances they would not be allowed inside.
The statement further alleges that those individuals photographed the family and made verbal threats.
The attorneys contend that, even with two armed Kentucky State University police officers present, a group of 20 to 30 individuals gathered in the dormitory lobby and “violently and viciously attacked” Bard’s son and family members.
According to the release, Bard’s son was slammed into the concrete floor and beaten by multiple people, and the officer on scene allegedly lost control of the situation.
“In the chaos,” the attorneys wrote, Bard attempted to pull attackers off his son but was struck himself. Believing his son to be in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, Bard then drew his firearm and shot two individuals whom the attorneys say were actively assaulting his son.
The legal team also stated that no charges have been filed against others allegedly involved in the confrontation and claimed the Bard family has continued to receive death threats.
The release further alleges that the mother of the deceased student has publicly called for retaliation against Bard’s son and sought assistance from criminal groups—claims that have not been independently verified by authorities.
The case against Bard was presented to a grand jury on December 16.
During a previous court hearing, a detective testified that at least one video reviewed by investigators did not show the shooting victims assaulting Bard’s son.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not issued a final determination regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting.