Man dies after being pulled from the American River trying to evade police

A man died Saturday after being rescued from the American River in downtown Sacramento during an attempt to evade police.

Police were called to the 200 block of Richards Boulevard around 6:50 a.m. for a man who was reportedly acting erratically, said Sacramento Police Detective Eddie Macaulay.

When officers tried to make contact the man, he took off on foot, jumped into the river on Bercut Drive and swam downstream. Officers tried to get him to come ashore, said Macaulay, but the man refused and then was seen going underwater.

A Sacramento fire swift water rescue crew pulled the man out just upstream from the Jibboom Street Bridge, said fire spokesman Capt. Keith Wade, and performed life-saving measures.

The man, whose identity has not been released, was later pronounced dead at the hospital, said Macaulay.

This story was originally published June 2, 2018 at 9:39 AM with the headline "Man dies after being pulled from the American River trying to evade police."