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A lawsuit filed by Doug Martin’s parents alleges delayed care after police used excessive force led to the former All-Pro running back’s death last October.
Leslie and Doug Martin filed the wrongful death lawsuit in federal court against the city of Oakland, California, multiple police officers and an ambulance company.
Martin, who was 36 when he died in police custody on 18 October, was a 2012 first-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who made the Pro Bowl in 2012 (1,454 rushing yards) and 2015 (1,402).
According to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by USA Today, Martin’s mother called paramedics because her son was experiencing a mental health crisis. Martin fled and hid inside a neighbor’s house, where Oakland police found him and held him “face down while one or more officers pressed on his back”, according to the lawsuit.
“Oakland Police Department Officers used excessive force ... and that force was a substantial factor in causing decedent Martin’s death,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit also alleges that police did not immediately call for medical attention despite Martin being unresponsive. When paramedics arrived more than 15 minutes later, they “did not promptly provide medical care”, according to the lawsuit.
Police said in a statement at the time of Martin’s death that he was involved in a break-in and that a “brief struggle” happened as police were trying to detain him and he became unresponsive. The department did not release any other details.
The Oakland police department said it does not comment on pending litigation. The Oakland city attorney’s office declined to provide a comment for reporters. Oakland police also said the investigation into Martin’s death is ongoing.
Martin was selected last August as one of the top 50 players in Buccaneers franchise history as part of the team’s 50th anniversary celebration. He finished his seven-year career with one season playing for the Oakland Raiders in 2018. He was originally from Oakland and lived in Stockton, where he played high school football before a standout college career at Boise State.
“The family is very much interested in finding out what happened to their son,” attorney John Burris told the Associated Press. “Unfortunately the litigation is a mechanism to best get that done.”
The Alameda county coroner’s office said an autopsy report is awaiting test results after extra testing was requested by Martin’s family. Burris said he does not know what additional testing is holding up the report.
In addition to the autopsy, Burris said Martin’s brain was immediately sent to be examined posthumously for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which can affect regions of the brain involved with regulating behavior and emotions and is linked to contact sports such as football. The family is also awaiting those results.
“They’re concerned enough about it that they immediately sent the brain to Boston for examination,” Burris said, though he added the degenerative brain disease might account for Martin’s behavior but not how he died that night. Research is done at the Boston University CTE Center.
