Martin family lawsuit targets Oakland police over fatal 2023 restraint
Martin family lawsuit targets Oakland police over fatal 2023 restraint
The parents of former NFL running back Doug Martin have filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Oakland, its police department, and ambulance company Falck Northern California, alleging that officers fatally restrained their son during a mental health crisis and that paramedics failed to provide timely medical care. Leslie and Douglas Martin filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
According to the complaint, Leslie Martin called paramedics on Oct. 18 after her son, then 36, began experiencing a mental health crisis. Martin left the home and was found by Oakland police in the basement of a neighbor’s house two doors away. The lawsuit alleges officers placed him face down with one or more officers pressing on his back; when they turned him on his side, he was unresponsive. The suit states officers believed he was sleeping or feigning unconsciousness. An independent pathologist, cited by the family’s attorney John Burris, indicated restraint asphyxia may have been the cause of death, though an official cause has not been established in the filing. Martin was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
The lawsuit further alleges Falck Northern California paramedics arrived approximately 15 minutes after a call for medical assistance was made and did not promptly treat Martin upon arrival. The family is seeking damages for wrongful death, medical and hospital expenses, funeral costs, and loss of familial relationship, among other claims. Martin’s mother separately sent her son’s brain to the Boston University CTE Center to assess whether he had developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy; the family’s attorney stated that any CTE finding would not affect the cause-of-death determination but that the family sought a fuller picture of his neurological health.
Martin, an Oakland native, was a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2012 NFL Draft and spent six seasons in Tampa Bay before finishing his career with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2018. He was named to two Pro Bowls and accumulated more than 5,300 rushing yards across his career. Oakland police declined to comment on pending litigation, the city attorney’s office did not respond to requests for comment, and Falck Northern California had not offered a statement at the time of filing.
