Lawsuit: Death Of Doug Martin Caused By Negligence From Police, Paramedics

Key Points:

• The parents of former NFL running back Doug Martin, who died eight months ago in Oakland police custody, have filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Oakland, five police officers, and an ambulance company, alleging wrongful death due to restraint asphyxia and delayed medical response.
• The lawsuit claims Martin, 36, was restrained face down by police during a mental health crisis and did not receive immediate medical attention, with paramedics arriving more than 15 minutes after the call and failing to promptly provide care.
• The complaint includes eight claims such as negligence, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and criticizes the lack of transparency from Oakland police, who have only released a heavily edited video and withheld the full autopsy report.
• Martin’s family has donated his brain to Boston University's Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center to determine if he had CTE, a condition linked to repeated head trauma common in former NFL players.
• Legal representatives for the family have expressed frustration with the investigation, and requests for comment from Oakland police, the city, and the ambulance provider Falck USA have been declined or unanswered.