'It's really tragic': Details emerge after former NFL star Doug Martin's death in Oakland police custody

"Martin's subsequent death - after what police described as a "brief struggle" with officers inside one of those homes - sent shockwaves through the city, stunning those who recalled the former All-Pro running back's quick burst on the football turf and easygoing temperament off of it. Two days later, questions mounted about the Oakland Police Department's actions before dawn Saturday, along with the factors that appeared to lead Martin inside his neighbor's home and the exact circumstances around his death in police custody."

"Multiple people called 911 around 4:15 a.m. Saturday, as Martin went door-to-door on the 11000 block of Ettrick Street, sources said. He had been staying in a longtime family home on that block, which sits atop an Oakland hills neighborhood near the Oakland Zoo. Police initially received a call about a person breaking into a home on that street, which a source said had been occupied at the time."

"They "simultaneously" received notice that a person believed to be a burglar was having "a medical emergency," according to a statement released Sunday by the Oakland Police Department. A "brief struggle" ensued when officers contacted the suspected burglar inside a house and tried to detain him, police said. Martin then became unresponsive after being taken into custody, according to Oakland police."

Doug Martin, a 36-year-old former NFL running back, wandered through backyards and knocked on neighbors' doors in the Oakland hills early Saturday morning. Multiple people called 911 around 4:15 a.m. after observing him go door-to-door on Ettrick Street. Police responded to reports of a possible home break-in and a simultaneous medical emergency. Officers encountered Martin inside a residence and a brief struggle occurred as they attempted to detain him. Martin became unresponsive after being taken into custody and later died. Neighbors described the death as tragic, and questions arose about police actions and the exact circumstances leading to his death.

Read at The Mercury News