NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – KRQE News 13 has learned that a Utah police officer killed in the line of duty over the weekend has ties to the Four Corners. Santaquin Sergeant Bill Hooser died Sunday while investigating reports of a man standing on the back of a semi-truck as it drove on I-15. Police say the driver, identified as Michael Jayne fled from a traffic stop but made a U-turn and hit Sgt. Hooser killing him.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office says Sgt. Hooser began his career with them as a reserve deputy in 2012 before joining the force as a certified deputy in 2015.
“It’s never easy to hear of these things, but it’s especially devastating when it has a connection to your agency. and we thought the world of Bill and his family. They were a tremendous part of our organization,” said Capt. Kevin Burns, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office says they are planning on sending someone to pay their respects during Hooser’s funeral.
