The parents of former All-Pro NFL running back Doug Martin have filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court against the city of Oakland, California, several police officers, and an ambulance company, alleging that excessive force during a mental health crisis and delayed medical attention caused their son’s death at the age of 36.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, describes an October incident in which Martin was restrained by responding officers who held him face-down with pressure applied to his back for a sustained period. The complaint alleges this restraint was a substantial contributing factor in his death. Martin had been experiencing a mental health episode when police responded to calls in the area, including a call placed by his own mother out of concern for his wellbeing.
What the lawsuit alleges happened
According to the complaint, Martin’s mother contacted emergency services because her son was behaving strangely and she believed he needed medical attention. He left the area before police arrived. Officers responding to her call and to separate reports of a break-in located Martin in a neighbor’s home.
Body camera footage released by Oakland police in March shows officers addressing Martin by name, followed by a brief physical struggle before he was placed face-down and restrained. Several minutes of footage were not included in the released video. The complaint alleges that Martin was subsequently turned onto his side and was unresponsive, and that officers initially believed he was sleeping or feigning unconsciousness before requesting medical assistance.
The lawsuit also names Falck USA and its California subsidiary, alleging that paramedics took more than 15 minutes to respond to the emergency call and did not promptly provide care upon arrival. The ambulance company had not commented publicly as of Thursday.
A second autopsy and CTE testing
The family retained independent legal and medical representation and commissioned a second autopsy. The independent pathologist reached a tentative conclusion that the cause of death was restraint asphyxiation. The Alameda County Coroner’s Office has not yet released an official autopsy report, which awaits the results of additional testing requested by the family.
The family also moved quickly to have Martin’s brain examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease associated with repeated head impacts in contact sports. Research on CTE is conducted posthumously, and the brain was sent to a specialized center in Boston immediately following Martin’s death. The family’s attorney noted that while CTE might help explain Martin’s behavior during the incident, it would not account for the cause of death itself.
Oakland police said Thursday that the investigation into Martin’s death remains ongoing and declined to comment on pending litigation.
A career that made him a franchise icon
Martin was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft and became one of the more productive running backs in franchise history. He rushed for more than 1,400 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in his rookie season and earned Pro Bowl recognition. He was named a first-team All-Pro in 2015, the peak of a career that also included a final season with the Raiders. The Buccaneers recognized him as one of the 50 greatest players in franchise history as part of the team’s 50th anniversary celebration in August.
Martin was originally from Oakland and had returned to the area before his death. His family, through their attorney, said they are seeking accountability and clarity about what happened the night their son died in police custody. The litigation, they said, is the mechanism most likely to produce those answers.
