Michael Aaron Jayne, 43, currently awaiting trial for the murder of Sergeant Bill Hooser of the Santaquin Police Department, was arrested again Monday while housed at the Utah County Jail.
Jayne faces a murder charge stemming from a May 2024 incident in which Sgt. Hooser was tragically hit and killed by a semi-truck on I-15 in Santaquin. Authorities say Jayne initially fled the scene after hitting Hooser, also striking the officer’s vehicle and a Utah Highway Patrol trooper’s car, before stealing multiple vehicles and eventually being captured in Vernal.
The new incident occurred on Sunday, Nov. 9, just after 11:30 p.m., when Jayne allegedly propelled an unknown liquid through a closed cell door at a deputy. Charging documents state he used his hands to manipulate something inside the cell, causing the liquid to spray onto the deputy, who was seen wiping his face, shirt, and pants. Officials noted that “it took planning and effort to shoot the substance through the crack in his door at the right time.”
While Jayne has not yet been formally charged for this alleged act, he could face a class-A misdemeanor for propelling a substance at a law enforcement officer.
Authorities remind the public that charges are allegations only, and all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This development adds to an ongoing case that has already drawn significant attention due to the violent nature of Jayne’s alleged actions and the tragic death of a dedicated law enforcement officer.
