OAKLAND, Calif. — The death of a well-known former NFL player while in Oakland police custody over the weekend is generating an outcry from the community, with friends saying Doug Martin struggled with mental health issues as police continue their investigation.
Close friends of former NFL running back Doug Martin grieved his tragic death at a home in the Oakland Hills over the weekend, where police say he was involved in a break-in after a struggle with police; they say he became unresponsive and died while in custody.
Martin’s former agent said Martin privately battled mental health issues, “Doug’s parents were actively seeking medical assistance for him and had contacted authorities for support. Feeling overwhelmed and disoriented Doug fled his home during the night and entered a neighbor’s residence two doors down.”
Oakland police declined to comment on the mental issues citing the ongoing investigation.
Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston has been in touch with police. “I heard he was down the street from a house he was familiar with. He could have got confused – we don’t know. But the one thing we do know is that the police will do their research and I believe they’ll do it thoroughly. They have 45 days to release the footage from the day of the incident and we’ll see it,” said Councilmember Houston.
RELATED: Ex-NFL player Doug Martin struggled with mental health issues before OPD in-custody death: family
Some criminal justice experts call for more training.
“Police departments, they have to – they’re first responders – they have to be trained in recognizing when a person is having a mental health episode,” Cal State East Bay criminal justice professor Lisa Hill said.
“Police are trained to subdue the suspect as quickly as possible and they are trained to meet noncompliance, which is often what happens with people in mental health crisis – with force,” Oakland community activist Cat Brooks said.
Bodycam footage will be released by December.
“We don’t want to lose anyone like this,” Houston said.
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