Truck driver accused of killing Utah officer was holding woman captive
Michael Aaron Jayne, an Indiana man accused of intentionally killing a Santaquin police officer by running him down, was released from the hospital on Saturday. Police report that a woman was held against her will in his semitruck just before the inc
A truck driver accused of intentionally killing a police officer during a traffic stop in Utah had been holding a woman against her will inside his truck, according to new court documents.
Incident details and arrest
Michael Aaron Jayne, 42, allegedly drove his rig into Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser, who died at the scene on May 5. Officer Hooser was assisting a woman who had escaped from Jayne's truck.
Jayne, from Garrett, Indiana, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, kidnapping, burglary, vehicle theft, and evading police. He is being held without bail in Utah County Jail.
Traffic stop and escape
Sgt. Hooser and Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Dustin Griffiths stopped Jayne's truck after an anonymous 911 caller reported someone standing on the back of the rig.
While Jayne was distracted, a woman fled from the passenger side, seeking help from Hooser. She told police she had been riding with Jayne voluntarily until an argument at a truck stop in Beaver, Utah, where he later forced her back into the truck with a knife and bear spray.
Fatal encounter
As Griffiths reached for Jayne's door handle, Jayne locked the door and drove off, making a sharp U-turn and accelerating towards Hooser, hitting and killing him.
Jayne then attempted to run over Griffiths and the woman, who managed to escape.
Jayne's criminal history and capture
Jayne, whose criminal history spans over 20 years, fled on foot to a gas station, stole another semitruck, and later a 1976 Ford F250, driving to a vacant house in Mt. Pleasant.
He eventually crashed a stolen Ford F150 near Vernal, Utah, after police intervention. Jayne was arrested and taken to a hospital for treatment.
Fallen officer honored
At Sgt. Hooser's funeral, his youngest daughter, Courtney, called her father a hero and expressed her heartbreak over his death.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox condemned Jayne as a "despicable human being" and assured Courtney of the community's support.
Jayne's violent past
Jayne has a history of violence against police, including convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and threats of violence. In 2009, he was charged in Oregon with attempted aggravated murder for trying to hit an officer with his vehicle, resulting in a prison sentence.
No attorney was listed for Jayne in court documents as of Monday.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. It was reported from Los Angeles.