Body of Bradenton man who slipped underwater while talking to deputies found floating in river

BRADENTON, Fla. - A man who vanished after telling deputies he ‘didn’t want to get arrested’ was found dead on Saturday. 

According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Shaun Wear slipped underwater while talking to deputies who were responding to a trespass complaint.

After arriving on the scene, they received another report of a man screaming while walking in the woods on a small island in Braden River.

According to deputies, Wear was in waist-deep water, wading behind homes off 56th Court East. Deputies said they encouraged him to get out of the water and swim to a nearby dock.

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As deputies got ready to get into the water to help, they say he disappeared under the water.

Pictured: Previous mugshot of Shaun Wear. Courtesy: Manatee County Sheriff's Office

On Saturday, Manatee County Marine Unit deputies found Wear’s body floating in the river just north of the SR 70 bridge, about 400 yards from where he was last seen.

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Detectives found no evidence of trauma and the Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the death an accidental drowning.

According to arrest records, Wear had been released from jail a week before the drowning.