Utah Chiefs of Police Association Mourns Death of Sgt. Bill Hooser in Life of Duty Death

OGDEN – It is with a heavy heart that the Utah Chiefs of Police Association announces the passing of Sgt. Bill Hooser of the Santaquin Police Department.

On May 5, Sgt. Hooser was struck and killed by a semi-truck whose driver was fleeing a traffic stop on Interstate 15 near mile marker 244 in Santaquin.

Sergeant. Hooser and a Utah Highway Patrol trooper initiated the stop after receiving reports of a person standing in the back of a trailer. The tractor-trailer driver fled, changed lanes and hit both patrol cars. Sergeant. Hooser was killed instantly. The driver was arrested a few hours later after a chase.

Sergeant. Hooser entered law enforcement with the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico and joined the Santaquin City Police Department in 2017. Bill was promoted from corporal to sergeant in February. He leaves behind his wife of 29 years, two daughters and a granddaughter.

His death is the first line-of-duty fatality in Utah since 2020, when Ogden Officer Nate Lyday was shot while investigating a domestic violence call.

“We as an organization are devastated by the loss of a valued member of law enforcement who meant so much to his community. We share the grief of his family and those who loved him,” said Brian Gwilliam, UCOPA president and chief of the Lone Peak Police Department. “His death is another reminder of the professional dangers sworn officers across Utah face as they work to keep their communities safe.”

A public viewing will be held Sunday, May 12, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Apple Valley Elementary School, 105 East 770 North, Santaquin. Funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, May 13, at the UCCU Events Center, Utah Valley University, 800 West University Parkway, Orem. The public is invited.

Burial will be in Santaquin City Cemetery, 300 South 100 East.