OAKLAND, Calif. -- The parents of former All-Pro NFL running back Doug Martin say excessive force by police and delayed medical care led to his death last year, according to a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Oakland, several police officers and an ambulance company.
In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court, Leslie and Douglas Martin say their son was experiencing a mental health crisis in October when responding Oakland police officers held him "face down while one or more officers pressed on his back." The lawsuit alleges this restraint was a "substantial factor" in causing his death.
Martin, 36, who spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was selected last August as one of the top 50 players in franchise history as part of the team's 50th anniversary celebration. He was originally from Oakland and lived in Stockton, where he played high school football.