Former Raider Doug Martin’s Family Sought Help With Mental Health Before His Death

Former NFL running back Doug Martin was struggling with a mental health challenge before he died in Oakland police custody, his family said Monday.

Martin, who grew up in Stockton and returned to the Bay Area to finish his football career with the Raiders in 2018, died after he was arrested in an alleged residential break-in early Saturday morning.

“Doug battled mental health challenges that profoundly impacted his personal and professional life,” Martin’s former agent Brian Murphy said in a statement on behalf of Martin’s family on Monday. “Ultimately, mental illness proved to be the one opponent from which Doug could not run.”

Oakland police arrested Martin after responding to a report of a residential break-in in the Chabot Park neighborhood just after 4 a.m., according to a statement. Around the same time, officers were informed that a person in the area — who they believed to be the same individual — was experiencing a medical emergency.

“Doug’s parents were actively seeking medical assistance for him and had contacted local authorities for support,” according to the statement from Murphy. “Feeling overwhelmed and disoriented, Doug fled his home during the night and entered a neighbor’s residence two doors down, where he was taken into custody by police.”

Officers responding to the reports of a break-in and medical emergency found Martin inside the residence, and “a struggle ensued” while trying to detain him, according to the Oakland Police Department. He became unresponsive after the arrest, police said.

Paramedic personnel administered aid and Martin was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

An investigation into the circumstances of his death is ongoing, and the officers involved in Martin’s arrest have been placed on administrative leave, per department policy.

Civil rights attorney John Burris, who has overseen reforms in the Oakland Police Department since a landmark 2003 settlement over widespread misconduct by a group of former officers, said investigators should be assessing footage of the altercation between Martin and officers and how he was restrained in their investigation.

He also noted that Martin’s mental health crisis, history as a football player and or any drug or alcohol use that’s determined could have been factors.

“It’s not usual for a person to be taken into custody for a burglary and dies shortly thereafter,” Burris said. “Doesn’t have to be the police officer’s fault … but these are the kinds of things they need to find out.”

Martin was born in Oakland and grew up in Stockton, where he became a star of the St. Mary’s High School football program before committing to attend Boise State University in 2006.

After four seasons as one of the best running backs in school history, he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012, where he played six seasons. He appeared in two Pro Bowls and was a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Bucs, but struggled to come back from a rocky 2016 season, during which he was suspended over Adderall use. The four-game suspension bled into the 2017 season, at the end of which he was released.

During his final season with the Raiders, he ran for his third-highest rushing yards after replacing an injured Marshawn Lynch in the starting lineup. He was re-signed in 2019, but retired quietly after an injury settlement before the season began.

Martin’s family requested privacy to navigate the loss, and reaffirmed that an investigation is underway.

“This is really a difficult situation and a tragic loss,” said Tony Franks, who coached Martin at St. Mary’s High School. “We need to look after one another. Sometimes people might be going through some challenges, and we have to be aware of that and reach out and take care of folks.”