Officials Identify Body Pulled From Allegheny River

BALWNOX (KDKA) -- Officials have identified a person found dead in the Allegheny River Sunday evening.

Crews recovered the body of Gregory Benton, 37, around 6 p.m. near the Blawnox Boat Launch.

Family members provided dental records for positive identification.

Benton was a resident of Pittsburgh.

It is believed Benton jumped off a New Kensington bridge in February while being chased by police.

Officers say they tried to stop Benton for running a stop sign, but he wouldn't pull over and eventually jumped into the water.

An officer at the scene said he saw the man tread water and swim toward shore, however Benton's family members doubt the story, saying he was afraid of heights and could not swim.

His mother told KDKA Monday that hopefully now that her son's body has been found, she will know the truth about what happened that night.

Allegheny County Police are investigating. Cause and manner of death are pending.

This is a developing story, stay with KDKA and KDKA.com for more information. 

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