Doug Martin’s parents sue police over former NFL RB’s death

The parents of former NFL running back Doug Martin have filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court against the City of Oakland, multiple Oakland police officers, and ambulance providers Falck USA Inc. and Falck Northern California Corp., alleging that excessive police force and delayed medical treatment led to their son’s death in October 2025. Leslie and Douglas Martin filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, June 23, in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

Leslie Martin called 911 after her son began experiencing a mental health crisis and sought medical assistance, according to the complaint. The lawsuit states that Martin left the home and hid in a neighbor’s residence, where Oakland police later found him. The complaint alleges officers restrained the former NFL running back face down while one or more officers pressed on his back, claiming the restraint was a substantial factor in his death.

The lawsuit further alleges that after officers rolled Martin onto his side, he was unresponsive. Officers initially believed he was sleeping or pretending to be asleep and did not immediately request medical assistance, according to the complaint. The filing also claims Falck Northern California paramedics arrived more than 15 minutes after the request for service and failed to provide prompt medical care upon arrival. Martin was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Attorney John Burris, representing the Martin family, said the lawsuit is intended to determine exactly what occurred during the incident. Burris also said an independent pathologist who conducted a second autopsy tentatively concluded that Martin died from restraint asphyxiation. Meanwhile, the Alameda County Coroner’s Office has not issued a final autopsy report because additional testing requested by the family remains pending.

As part of that testing, Martin’s brain was sent to the Boston University CTE Center for posthumous examination for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease associated with repetitive head impacts in contact sports. Burris said the examination is intended to provide a clearer understanding of Martin’s brain health, although he noted that any CTE findings would not determine the immediate cause of death. The family is still awaiting those results.

Oakland police previously stated that Martin was involved in a reported residential break-in and became unresponsive after what the department described as a “brief struggle” as officers attempted to detain him. The department has declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing its policy regarding pending litigation, while also confirming the investigation into Martin’s death remains ongoing.

Martin, who was 36, was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 31st overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft following an impressive career at Boise State. He rushed for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie, earned first-team All-Pro honors, was selected to the Pro Bowl twice, and finished his seven-year NFL career with more than 5,300 rushing yards. He spent six seasons with the Buccaneers before concluding his career with the Oakland Raiders in 2018 and was recognized in 2025 as one of the Buccaneers’ top 50 players during the franchise’s 50th anniversary celebration.

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