Police in Oakland, CA are declining to release body-worn camera footage and related records connected to the death of NFL running back Doug Martin, citing privacy concerns and ongoing investigations.
The records were requested by The Oaklandside, which filed a public records request seeking video and audio from the early morning police encounter that preceded Martin’s death on October 18.
The Oakland Police Department denied the request on Tuesday, December 2, arguing that the incident does not meet the legal standard of a “critical incident” under California law.
Acting Oakland Police Chief James Beere made the determination, stating that the department could withhold the footage under the Public Records Act’s public-interest balancing test. In a written response, OPD said releasing the recordings now would do more harm than good.
“Specifically, disclosure at this time would compromise privacy interests, and interfere with an ongoing investigation,” the department wrote.
OPD also noted that the incident is currently under review by the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA), along with the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau, Homicide Unit, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. The officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave, which police say is standard procedure.
According to authorities, police responded to a call in the early hours of the morning at a home on the 11000 block of Ettrick Street in the East Oakland hills. OPD has said Martin experienced a “medical emergency” during a “brief struggle” with officers attempting to detain him and later became unresponsive.
Paramedics arrived and transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was 36 years old. His cause of death has not been made public.
Martin’s family has said police were contacted that night because of concerns about his mental health. In a statement provided to The Oaklandside, his parents explained they were seeking help.
“Feeling overwhelmed and disoriented, Doug fled his home during the night and entered a neighbor’s residence two doors down, where he was taken into custody by police,” the family said.
California’s Assembly Bill 748, passed in 2018, was designed to increase transparency by requiring the release of police video in cases involving shootings or uses of force that result in death or serious injury.
The law allows departments to delay release only if disclosure would “substantially interfere” with an investigation. OPD has not detailed how releasing the records in this case would meet that threshold.
The law also states that when the subject of the footage is deceased, agencies must “promptly disclose” recordings to the person’s immediate family or attorney. It remains unclear whether Martin’s family has been allowed to review the video.
The Oaklandside reported that follow-up inquiries to OPD and the City Attorney’s Office have not been answered.