PROVO, Utah — The man who is charged with intentionally killing Sgt. Bill Hooser by running him over with a semi-truck may face the death penalty.
The Utah County Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that they have "filed notice to seek the death penalty" for 42-year-old Michael Aaron Jayne.
Jayne is accused of murder for Hooser's death. On the morning of May 5, Hooser and UHP Trooper Dustin Griffiths pulled Jayne over in his truck on I-15 in Santaquin. When they asked him to exit the cab, Jayne allegedly drove off, then turned around and sped toward the two officers. He hit and killed Hooser, then went on a stolen vehicle spree before he was found more than 150 miles away.
"The court appointed two attorneys who are both qualified under the Utah Rules of Criminal Procedure to represent individuals charged with an offense for which the penalty may be death," the Utah County Attorney's Office wrote in Wednesday's announcement.
Court documents on the case added that the decision to seek the death penalty came after consulting with Hooser's family.
Jayne is being held without bail. His next hearing, a status conference, is scheduled for Nov. 13.
