The parents of former NFL running back Doug Martin have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Oakland, its police department, and an ambulance company, alleging that excessive force and delayed medical care led to their son's death in October. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
According to the suit, the 36-year-old Martin was experiencing a mental health crisis on Oct. 18. His mother, Leslie, called for paramedics while Martin fled to a neighbor's home. An Oakland police officer located Martin in the basement, the lawsuit states.
Allegations in Lawsuit
The suit claims that police officers restrained Martin face down, with one or more officers pressing on his back. The officers then reportedly turned Martin onto his side, at which point he was unresponsive. The lawsuit alleges that officers initially believed Martin was "sleeping or was pretending to be" until one requested medical assistance after Martin remained unconscious.
Paramedics reportedly arrived more than 15 minutes after the call was placed, and medical attention was not promptly administered, according to the lawsuit. The family contends that restraint asphyxia by Oakland police and the delayed response by FALCK NORCAL paramedics contributed to Martin's death.
Martin, who was born in Oakland, played high school football in Stockton and was a first-team All-Mountain West Conference selection at Boise State. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Martin played seven seasons in the NFL, accumulating 5,536 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns, primarily with the Buccaneers. In 2015, he was a first-team All-Pro selection after rushing for 1,402 yards that season. He played his final NFL season with the Raiders.