A 36-year-old former NFL running back who died over the weekend was in police custody when he passed away.
Doug Martin, who played seven seasons in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, died at a hospital early Saturday after being contacted by Oakland police, the East Bay Times reported.
The officers were responding to reports of a home break-in at about 4:15 a.m. in East Oakland, sources told the paper. Police were “simultaneously” notified that the suspected burglar was having a medical emergency, the Oakland Police Department said in a statement.
After a “brief struggle,” the suspect was taken into custody and then became unresponsive, the statement said. Paramedics provided medical aid at the scene and the suspect was taken to a hospital, where they later died.
The Alameda County Coroner’s Office has not confirmed that Martin was the suspect described in the statement, but multiple sources confirmed to the East Bay Times that he was the person involved.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Oakland Police Department.
Martin’s cause of death has not yet been determined. His family released a statement Saturday confirming his passing and asking for “privacy at this time.”
Deaths in custody are investigated by the Oakland Police Department’s homicide unit, internal affairs bureau, civilian-led police commission, community police review agency, and Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
The officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave in the meantime.
Martin was a star player at Boise State University before being drafted to the NFL, where his career was marked by flashes of brilliance, including two career Pro Bowl appearances.
In 2016, he tested positive for banned substances and was suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He later sought treatment and publicly apologized. He retired quietly after the 2018 season.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and unexpected passing of Doug Martin,” the Buccaneers said in a statement after he died. “From his record-setting rookie season in 2012 to his multiple Pro Bowl selections during his six seasons as a Buccaneer, Doug made a lasting impact on our franchise.”
In an interview with the East Bay Times, Martin’s high school football coach Tony Franks remembered his former student as a “terrific young man” with a “happy-go-lucky spirit” who “worked very hard to make the most of the gifts he was given.”
“This is such a tragic loss,” Franks said. “Our prayers go out to his family and his teammates and his friends, and he had a bunch of them. There are a lot of people who are really grieving tonight.”
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