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The family of former NFL running back Doug Martin has sued the city of Oakland, its police department and an ambulance company, alleging their actions contributed to the circumstances surrounding his death.
In the suit, the late NFL star’s parents allege that police played a role in the 36-year-old’s death and claim that paramedics did not respond quickly enough to calls for medical assistance. Martin’s parents, Leslie and Douglas, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
The suit says the plaintiffs believe Martin died of restraint asphyxiation, which they allege was “caused by the failure of Oakland police officers and FALCK NORCAL paramedics to provide timely medical attention.” He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
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Doug Martin of the Oakland Raiders carries the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half of their NFL game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California on November 11, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Leslie called paramedics in response to her son having a mental health crisis on October 18. Martin then fled and hid in a neighbor’s house two doors away, where the Oakland Police Department found him in the basement, according to the suit.
According to the suit, Leslie called paramedics on Oct. 18 after her son began experiencing a mental health crisis. Martin then left home and hid in a neighbor’s house. Oakland police later found him in the basement. Furthermore, the lawsuit says law enforcement officers physically restrained Martin and placed him “face down while one or more officers applied pressure to his back.” When the officers turned Martin on his side, he was unresponsive, at which point the suit alleges the officers believed he was “sleeping or pretending to sleep.”
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The lawsuit also alleges that police restrained Martin, placed him “face down while one or more officers applied pressure to his back,” and later found him unresponsive after turning him on his side. Officers believed Martin “was asleep or pretending to be asleep,” the suit continued. It is also alleged that at least one officer called for medical attention while Martin remained unresponsive.
The Martin family claims the response was not immediate enough, claiming Falck Northern California paramedics arrived about 15 minutes after the call for service was made, according to the suit. “When they arrived,” the suit says, “they did not immediately provide medical attention.”
Oakland Raiders running back Doug Martin is tackled by Los Angeles Chargers safety Jahleel Addae during an NFL game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California on November 11, 2018. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
“They just want to know what happened,” John Burris, an attorney representing the family, told The Athletic. “Here’s a situation where the mother called for help. He was emotionally out of it and she called for help.”
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“When you call for help and the police come, it’s not a death sentence. You don’t expect the person to die.” Burris continued. He added that an independent pathologist, who was not named, told Martin’s parents that restraint asphyxiation may have been the cause of their son’s death.
Martin’s parents are seeking damages, including for wrongful death, hospital and medical expenses, coroner’s fees, funeral and burial expenses, loss of support and family relationships, among several others.
Burris noted that Martin’s mother sent her son’s brain to Boston, where the Boston University CTE Center is based, in an effort to determine whether he developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease that can only be diagnosed after death. While the pathologist told Burris that a CTE finding “really has no consequence as it relates to the cause of death,” Burris said the family is seeking a clearer picture of Martin’s brain health.
An Oakland Police patrol car is parked in front of Oakland Police headquarters in Oakland, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The Oakland Police Department has a policy of not commenting publicly on pending litigation. Pakinomist Digital was referred to the Oakland City Attorney’s Office, which also did not offer comment on the case. Representatives for Falck Northern California could not immediately be reached for comment.
An Oakland native, Martin closed out his NFL career with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2018. Prior to that, he spent six seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
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He received a four-game suspension in 2016 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. After testing positive for Adderall, Martin revealed plans to enter a treatment program.
Martin finished his NFL career with more than 5,300 rushing yards and was named to two Pro Bowl teams. He played college football at Boise State.
