Family of ex-NFL star Doug Martin files lawsuit after death in Oakland police custody

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The family of former National Football League player Doug Martin has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against police officers, paramedics and the city of Oakland after their son died in police custody.

Martin, 36, died after a struggle with police following a reported break-in and mental health crisis on Oct. 18, 2025.

Martin was a running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and, after 2018, the then-Oakland Raiders.

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Martin's family said that he struggled with mental and emotional difficulties leading up to his death.

According to the wrongful death complaint filed Tuesday by the office of civil rights attorney John Burris, officers allegedly used excessive force when they restrained Martin face down and at least one officer pressed on his back as they attempted to get him under control. The family's attorneys also allege paramedics took too long to reach the scene.

The defendants in the case are the city of Oakland, five officers, and the paramedics company Falck USA. The Oakland Police Department declined to comment. The city of Oakland could not be reached for comment.

"Falck paramedics arrived over 15 minutes after the call for service," the complaint reads. Even when they arrived, paramedics "did not promptly provide medical care," it alleges.

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According to the complaint, officers and paramedics acted "negligently" and "wrongfully," and the suit alleges Martin died from suffocation while being restrained by police officers and that paramedics did not provide timely care.

According to Burris, a pathologist tentatively found that the cause of death was asphyxiation.

More than anything, Martin's family wants to get to the bottom of the death, Burris said.

"There were no indications that he was having a heart attack or anything of that kind," he said. "So what would cause him to die?"