The family of former NFL running back Doug Martin has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Oakland police officers and paramedics failed to provide timely medical care during a mental health crisis, resulting in his death from restraint asphyxia—a case that underscores persistent gaps in how law enforcement responds to people experiencing psychiatric emergencies.
Martin's parents, Leslie and Douglas, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, naming the city of Oakland, its police department, and an ambulance company as defendants. The family contends that their son died from restraint asphyxia caused by police officers and FALCK NORCAL paramedics' failure to provide prompt medical intervention.
The Crisis and Police Response
On Oct. 18, Leslie Martin called for paramedics after her son began experiencing a mental-health crisis. Martin then fled and hid in a neighbor's house two doors away, where Oakland Police Department officers located him in the basement. According to the lawsuit, law enforcement officers physically restrained Martin and placed him face down while one or more officers pressed on his back. When officers turned Martin on his side, he was unresponsive. The suit alleges that officers mistakenly believed he was sleeping or pretending to be asleep, despite at least one officer requesting medical assistance while Martin remained unresponsive.
The family's legal team alleges that Falck Northern California paramedics did not arrive for approximately 15 minutes after the call for service was made, and that when they did arrive, they did not promptly provide medical care.
Systemic Failures in Crisis Response
John Burris, the lawyer representing the family, highlighted the fundamental contradiction at the heart of such cases. "They just want to know what happened," Burris said. "Here's a situation where the mother was calling for help. He was emotionally out of it, and she was calling for help." He emphasized the broader concern: "When you call for help and the police come, it's not a death warrant. You don't expect the person to die."
An independent pathologist, who was not named, informed Martin's parents that restraint asphyxia may have been their son's cause of death. The family is also seeking additional medical clarity, having sent Martin's brain to the Boston University CTE Center to determine whether he developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease that can only be diagnosed after death. However, Burris noted that the pathologist indicated a CTE finding "really has no consequence as it relates to the cause of death," suggesting the family's primary concern remains the circumstances surrounding the fatal restraint.
Damages and Institutional Accountability
Martin's parents are seeking damages including wrongful death compensation, hospital and medical expenses, coroner's fees, funeral and burial expenses, and loss of support and familial relationship, among other claims. The lawsuit represents an attempt to establish institutional accountability for how emergency responders—both law enforcement and medical personnel—handle individuals experiencing mental health crises.
The Oakland Police Department declined to comment, citing its policy against publicly addressing pending litigation. The Oakland city attorney's office also did not offer comment. Representatives for Falck Northern California could not immediately be reached for comment.
Martin, an Oakland native, closed out his NFL career with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2018. Before that, he spent six seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He finished his professional football career with more than 5,300 rushing yards and was named to two Pro Bowl teams. He played college football at Boise State.
Why This Matters:
This case illustrates a critical vulnerability in how law enforcement agencies respond to mental health crises—a responsibility that has increasingly fallen to police departments despite their primary training in law enforcement rather than de-escalation and medical intervention. When families call for help during psychiatric emergencies, the response should prioritize safety and immediate medical care, yet the timeline and sequence of events in Martin's case suggest significant delays in both police restraint protocols and paramedic response. The lawsuit raises urgent questions about institutional accountability, training standards, and whether current systems adequately protect people experiencing mental health crises. The family's pursuit of answers and damages reflects a broader societal concern: that police involvement in mental health calls, without proper protocols and rapid medical support, can transform a health crisis into a fatal outcome. How Oakland and similar jurisdictions address these systemic gaps will have implications for how emergency services nationwide respond to vulnerable populations.