Police captain involved in scandal dies — (Newson6.com)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A retired police captain involved in a scandal that led to criminal charges and a multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit has died in Norman Regional Hospital after going into cardiac arrest at his home in Moore.

Bill Martin was revived by Midwest City paramedics about 7:30 a.m. Monday and remained in critical condition throughout the afternoon before dying in the hospital at 5:21 p.m.

No cause of death was released.

Martin, a 20-year police veteran, retired Dec. 19, two days before receiving a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of outraging public decency in connection with claims by a female security guard that he had groped her.

He had also faced minor criminal charges after a Sept. 25, 1999, incident in which a female bartender claimed she had been drugged and raped at the Glitter Dome police social club. Those charges were dropped, but the bartender filed a $16.75 million civil lawsuit against Martin, the police department and Oklahoma City.

The lawsuit is still pending.

Martin fought alcoholism and had gone to an out-of-state substance-abuse treatment center. He was in and out of residential facilities for several months.

“It’s a very sad end to a life,” said Irven Box, Martin’s attorney. “He had gone through a lot of problems dealing with his alcohol addiction, and I thought he was winning the battle. I really did.”

Box said Martin was fighting clinical depression and was taking prescription antidepressants.

Mary Stupka, president of the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police said he was a hardworking officer who was active in charity work.

“He was respected by other officers until the Glitter Dome,”

she said. “Of course, he’s still respected by those of us who really know him.

“It’s unfortunate his career ended as it did, and it’s unfortunate that that’s how he’ll be remembered. But he won’t be remembered that way by his real friends. We’ll remember his years of social service.”