Man wanted by police drowns while fleeing arrest in Tauragė

A man wanted by law enforcement drowned in the Jūra River in Tauragė district on Tuesday evening while trying to escape an officer seeking to detain him, LRT reported.

Police spokeswoman Lina Banienė told BNS that the man was born in 1988. An off-duty police officer saw him jump into the river and disappear underwater. Preliminary information indicates that he tried to swim across the river to get away.

Police said the man may have fled because he was wanted in connection with various criminal offences. He was subject to pre-trial detention and had been evading officers, Banienė said.

Firefighters joined the search on Tuesday evening, but the man was not found. His body was recovered at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, and he was pronounced dead.

The Fire and Rescue Department said it received a report at about 7:50 p.m. on Tuesday that a person was drowning in the Jūra River near a dam on Tilžės Road. Responders did not see anyone on the water’s surface and searched by boat, but did not find the man.