Doug Martin's family sent his brain to be tested for CTE as they await police investigation

"I'm not presuming in this case that legal action needs to be taken until we've reviewed all the reports. Was it a medical condition? CTE? The police? While we wait for the investigation to be completed, the cause of death is still unclear."

"Martin's body was sent to Boston University's Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center immediately after his death so specialists can evaluate his brain for CTE, which commonly affects athletes in contact sports, military combat veterans, and those who have undergone repeated head trauma. The disease can only be definitively diagnosed after a person has died."

Douglas Martin, an ex-running back who played in the NFL from 2012 to 2019, died on October 18 while in Oakland Police Department custody following a brief struggle during a response to a home break-in. He became unresponsive after being taken into custody and was transported to a hospital where he died at age 36. His family has retained civil rights attorney John Burris to represent them. Martin's brain was sent to Boston University's Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center for evaluation, as CTE, a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma, can only be definitively diagnosed after death. The family is awaiting both the OPD investigation results and the CTE examination findings before deciding whether to pursue legal action.

Read at The Oaklandside