The death of former NFL running back Doug Martin — what happened, what is known, and what remains under investigation

Martin, aged 36, was reportedly involved in an incident in Oakland, California, early on the morning of Saturday (October 18 / 19, 2025).
According to the Oakland Police Department (OPD), officers responded around 4:15 a.m. to a home on the 11000 block of Ettrick Street in the Chabot Park / East Oakland area, in response to a reported break-in.
Simultaneously, the department says they were notified that the person connected to the break-in was “experiencing a medical emergency”.
Upon arrival, officers located the individual (later identified by multiple sources as Martin) inside the residence. During the attempt to detain him, a “brief struggle” took place.
After being taken into custody, the individual became unresponsive. Paramedics were summoned, he was transported to a hospital, and later died.
Martin’s family released a statement: “It is with great sadness to inform you all that Doug Martin passed away Saturday morning. Cause of death is currently unconfirmed. Please respect our privacy at this time.”

Doug Martin was a standout collegiate running back at Boise State University, and was selected in the first round (31st overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He played six seasons in Tampa Bay, earning two Pro-Bowl selections and being named a first-team All-Pro in 2015.
He finished his NFL career with a stint at the Oakland Raiders (in his native Bay Area) in 2018.

The OPD has stated that the incident is being investigated by multiple internal and external oversight bodies — including the OPD Homicide Section, Internal Affairs Bureau, the civilian-led Oakland Police Commission, the Community Police Review Agency, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
Officers involved in the detention have been placed on administrative/paid leave, as per standard protocol in an in-custody death.
The official cause of death has not yet been released. The Alameda County Coroner’s Office has so far not released a name or cause of death publicly, citing a press hold.
Some reports treat the death of Martin as the same incident as the in-custody death noted by the OPD, while other reports note that authorities have not officially confirmed the identity. (E.g., one site says “because officials have not publicly confirmed the identity in the in-custody case, this report treats Martin’s confirmed death and the in-custody death as separate developments pending official identification.”)
The nature of the medical emergency, the full details of the struggle, and what preceded the call to police (report of break-in) are not yet fully clear.

Deaths in police custody are always significant because they raise issues of use-of-force, medical care/shackling/monitoring, transparency and accountability of law enforcement agencies.
This case involves a high-profile former professional athlete, which increases public attention, and may raise further scrutiny of how law enforcement handles incidents involving medical emergencies.
The overlapping factors — suspected break-in, medical emergency, struggle, unresponsiveness after custody — make the investigation complex: Was the medical emergency pre-existing? What role did the detention play in the outcome? Were appropriate medical protocols followed?
For the athlete’s family, former teammates, fans, and the broader community, this is a tragic and unexpected loss; it also raises questions about post-career support for athletes (health, medical, mental-health) though at this point there is no confirmed link to that.

Official autopsy/timeline release: When the Alameda County Coroner publishes findings (toxicology, cause of death, time of death) that will help clarify exactly how Martin died.
Investigative findings: The OPD’s internal affairs and homicide unit (and external oversight) may produce a report on the officers’ conduct, medical response, whether policy was followed.
Legal / civil implications: Depending on what the investigations find, there may be civil-rights inquiries, lawsuits, or criminal findings.
Statements from teams/family: The Buccaneers, Raiders (his former teams), Boise State, and Martin’s family may give further commentary which could shed light on his health or personal circumstances leading up to the incident.

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