SANTAQUIN, Utah — Officers from various agencies are stepping up and covering shifts for the Santaquin Police Department so officers can grieve the death of Sgt. Billy Hooser.
"You don't want it to be your department, you don't want it to be any department you work with, you don't want it to be anyone close to you," said Officer Jamie Wood. "Unfortunately, this time it was."
Wood is an officer with the Salem Police Department. Wednesday was her first day filling in and helping Santaquin.
"They had 36 twelve-hour shifts that they needed filled," she said. "And they were filled within an hour of them putting out the shifts."
Wood said that doesn't include the 65 other four-hour shifts to watch Sgt. Hooser and his family were also immediately covered.
"It's pretty incredible. Nobody needed to be asked twice. They just put out for volunteers and everybody showed up," she said.
The Salem Police Department has thirteen officers and Santaquin has fourteen. The departments frequently train together and that's how Wood knew Sgt. Hooser.
"He had the ability to make everything a little bit more fun," she said. "Making sure that we're still getting what we need to get done but that we're all safe and having a good time still."
Every day, more people stop by the memorial on Main Street to pay their respects and drop off a special token.
Wood has noticed the community's kindness and respect for law enforcement.
"I would urge the community to continue that and to not let Sgt. Hooser's memory and sacrifice be overlooked and forgotten," she said.
