SANTAQUIN, Utah, May 6, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Law enforcement agents and a family member of Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser, killed Sunday in the line of duty as he and his patrol vehicle were struck by a suspect fleeing in a semi truck, on Monday shared more details about the case.
Hooser, 50, died on the scene, near Interstate 15 and mile marker 422, after responding at about 6:30 a.m. to a report of a person standing on the back of a semi.
Hooser, assisting a Utah Highway Patrol trooper, stopped the semi driver, later identified as 42-year-old Michael Aaron Jayne. Spanish Fork Police Lt. Cory Slaymaker, acting as a spokesman for the Santaquin Police Department, told reporters Hooser and the trooper made a traffic stop and spoke briefly with Jayne before Jayne made a U-turn with his semi to flee the scene and struck Hooser and his patrol car and the UHP trooper’s vehicle.
The trooper was not injured.
Jayne then fled on foot, and made his way to a nearby convenience store, where he stole a second semi, Slaymaker said.
“The suspect left the stolen semi in Mona, Utah…. It was reported the suspect stole a Ford pickup in Mona, Utah,” Slaymaker said. “An attempt to locate was broadcast statewide in an attempt to locate that vehicle. That Ford pickup was located in Mount Pleasant, Utah, and the suspect stole another vehicle at this location.”
The attempt-to-locate order was revised, and the last stolen vehicle was located in Vernal, Slaymaker said.
It “fled from troopers at an extremely high speed and the vehicle crashed. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to a local area hospital. As you know, there are multiple locations where investigations are still taking place. This is still currently a very active investigation with further information that will still be coming forward.”
Hooser bio
Santaquin Police Chief Rodney Hurst shared a little biographical information about Hooser, saying he was 50 years old, a Utah native, and had eight years in law enforcement. Hooser was hired to work in Santaquin in 2017, and he is survived by his wife of 29 years, two daughters and a granddaughter.
Hooser was promoted to sergeant in February of this year, Hurst said.
“Just on a personal note, I know everybody says this when an officer gets killed, but Sergeant Hooser was one of those guys that were really squared away,” Hurst said. “He was by the book, right and wrong, and even had the flattop haircut to go along with it. He was a top notch officer, and it’s gonna be hard to replace him.”
Mike Hooser
Mike Hooser spoke after describing Bill, with affection, as his “big brother.”
“Bill started his law enforcement journey as a volunteer, unpaid, doing the same job,” his brother said. “He started that late in life. So it was a decision that he made, something he wanted to do, and it’s something that he loved to do.”
Mike Hooser read a statement from the Hooser and Edwards families, which said they “are devastated by the loss of our beautiful husband, son, brother, father and grandfather. Such a senseless loss. It hit so hard for not just our family but our extended law enforcement family and the community. We take comfort in the outpouring of support we have received from agencies and officers all over the state.”
Mike Hooser, a Wyoming resident, said although nothing will ever make up for the loss of Bill, he has been “truly humbled” by the support for his family that he has witnessed while driving through the state of Utah.
Besides the emotional support, a GoFundMe account that says it was established to support Bill Hooser’s family has now surpassed $65,000.
Santaquin Police said the investigation into the case continues. Gephardt Daily will have more information as details are revealed.
