06/25/26 10:06:00
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06/25 22:04 CDT Parents of former NFL player Doug Martin allege excessive
police force led to his wrongful death
Parents of former NFL player Doug Martin allege excessive police force led to
his wrongful death
By HANNAH FINGERHUT
Associated Press
The parents of former All-Pro NFL running back Doug Martin say excessive force
by police and delayed medical care led to his death last year, according to a
wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Oakland, California, several police
officers and an ambulance company.
In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court, Leslie and Douglas Martin say
their son was experiencing a mental health crisis in October when responding
Oakland police officers held him "face down while one or more officers pressed
on his back." The lawsuit alleges this restraint was a "substantial factor" in
causing his death.
"The family is very much interested in finding out what happened to their son,"
said attorney John Burris. "Unfortunately the litigation is a mechanism to best
get that done."
Martin, 36, best known for his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was
selected last August as one of the top 50 players in franchise history as part
of the team's 50th anniversary celebration. He was originally from Oakland and
lived in Stockton, where he played high school football.
Over a decade, more than 1,000 people have died across the country after police
subdued them through means not intended to be lethal, such as physical holds,
Tasers and body blows, an investigation led by The Associated Press found. That
includes George Floyd, whose murder by a police officer in 2020 led to a
national reckoning over law enforcement's use of force, especially against
Black people.
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 Thursday it does not comment on pending
litigation and referred inquiries to the Oakland city attorney's office, which
declined comment. Oakland police also said the investigation into Martin's
death is ongoing.
Leslie Martin had called 911 because she was worried about her son, Burris said
in an interview. He had been acting strangely and she "thought that he needed
some medical attention," he said.
Burris said Doug Martin took off after she called. Police officers responding
to Leslie Martin's call and separate reports of a break-in found Doug Martin
hiding in a neighbor's home.
Oakland police released several minutes of officers' body camera footage and
911 calls in March. In the video, officers called Martin by name.
The officers and Martin struggle briefly and then he is physically restrained
face down. There are several minutes not shown in the released video.
The complaint alleges that Martin was later turned onto his side and was
unresponsive and says officers initially thought he was "sleeping or pretending
to be." They only requested medical assistance after he remained unresponsive,
the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit also accuses Falck USA, Inc. and its subsidiary Falck Northern
California Corp.'s paramedics of taking more than 15 minutes to respond to the
call and not promptly providing medical care after they arrived. Messages
seeking comment were left Thursday for Falck.
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.
Burris said he had a second autopsy conducted, and the pathologist determined
tentatively that the cause of death was restraint asphyxiation.
In addition to the autopsy, Burris said Martin's brain was immediately sent to
be examined posthumously for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which can affect
regions of the brain involved with regulating behavior and emotions and is
linked to contact sports such as football. The family also is 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 his behavior but not how he died that night. Research
is done at the Boston University CTE Center.
Martin was the 31st overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft after
a standout career at Boise State. He rushed for 1,454 yards, scored 11
touchdowns as a rookie and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He also was named
first-team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl again in 2015.
Martin played six seasons with the Buccaneers and one season with the Raiders.
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