Shock new twist in death of ex-NFL star Doug Martin, 36, as it emerges he died ‘after brief struggle with police’

Former NFL running back Doug Martin reportedly died while in police custody in Oakland. 

According to The East Bay Times, the 36-year-old died at hospital after being contacted by officers who were responding to reports of a break in at a home in East Oakland. 

Police responded to a call about a break-in just after 4:15am on Saturday morning in a neighborhood near the Oakland Zoo. 

The Oakland Police Department said in a statement that, at the same time, they also received a call that the suspected burglar was having ‘a medical emergency’.

It is then claimed officers had a ‘brief struggle’ with the suspected burglar, who became unresponsive after being taken into custody.

The burglar was given treatment at the scene before being taken to hospital, where they later died. 

The Alameda County Coroner’s Office has not yet identified the person who died or given a cause of death.

The police officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave.

Martin, who last played in the NFL in 2018, was nicknamed the ‘Muscle Hamster’ for his bruising playing style at 5-foot-9, 225 pounds.

He had been a standout at Boise State for four years of college football before then getting drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Martin spent six seasons with the franchise. 

He was twice named to the Pro Bowl and once received an All-Pro nod during his time in Tampa Bay before finishing his career with the then Oakland Raiders in the 2018-2019 season. 

More to follow.