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.

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