Doug Martin parents sue Oakland cops over RB's death
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- Doug Martin's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday in federal court against the city of Oakland, several police officers, and Falck USA and its subsidiary, alleging excessive force and delayed medical care caused the former running back's death at 36 in October.
- The lawsuit alleges officers responding to Martin's mental health crisis held him "face down while one or more officers pressed on his back," calling the restraint a "substantial factor" in his death.
- A second autopsy commissioned by the family tentatively determined the cause of death was restraint asphyxiation, according to attorney John Burris; the Alameda County coroner's report remains pending after extra testing requested by the family.
- Falck Northern California Corp. paramedics took more than 15 minutes to respond and did not promptly provide medical care upon arrival, the complaint alleges; messages seeking comment were left with the company.
- Leslie Martin had called 911 because she was worried about her son; he fled and was later found hiding in a neighbor's home after police also responded to separate reports of a break-in.
- Martin's brain was sent immediately after his death to the Boston University CTE Center for posthumous examination, with results pending — a step the family took before even receiving the autopsy, suspecting football-related damage may have shaped his behavior.
- Martin was the 31st overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft out of Boise State, played six seasons with the Buccaneers and one with the Raiders, earned two Pro Bowl selections and first-team All-Pro honors in 2015, and was named one of the top 50 players in Buccaneers history as part of the team's 50th anniversary celebration.
Why it matters: The lawsuit's specific allegations — face-down restraint with an officer pressing on Martin's back, Falck paramedics taking over 15 minutes, and a second autopsy pointing to restraint asphyxiation — give the family a concrete evidentiary path in a case where Oakland police body camera footage is partially missing. The family's decision to send Martin's brain to BU's CTE Center before even receiving the autopsy introduces a football-trauma dimension rarely present in use-of-force litigation, potentially complicating the legal and public framing of what happened that night.
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