SPANISH FORK, Utah — The man charged with killing a Santaquin police officer last year faces new charges after he allegedly attacked deputies at the Utah County Jail, including trying to gouge the eyes out of one deputy.
Michael Jayne is awaiting trial, where he faces the death penalty after he allegedly struck and killed Santaquin police officer Bill Hooser with a semi truck on Interstate 15 in May 2024.
On Wednesday, deputies located contraband inside Jayne's jail cell. While speaking with deputies about the contraband in an interview room, the arrest report claimed Jayne was originally "polite and respectful" before his "demeanor quickly changed to anger."
At one point, Jayne reportedly "sprang out of his chair, slapped the table, pushing it towards deputies, and then took a fighting stance."
When deputies attempted to place Jayne in handcuffs, he threw a punch at one of the deputies and made a verbal threat to kill another.
During the altercation, Jayne knocked the glasses off one deputy and "began clawing the deputy's face until he got to his eyes." In the arrest report, the deputy said Jayne was attempting to gouge his eyes with his fingers, and was able to dig his finger "deep into his right eye socket."
Once he was taken to the ground, Jayne then took the deputy's eyeglasses and "continuously stabbed the deputy approximately six times with the sharp metal earpiece of the eye glass frame, targeting the rib cage and stomach area."
Jayne was eventually subdued after multiple deputies arrived in the interview room.
Following the incident, the deputies were medically checked out, with one revealed to have a scratch that barely missed his cornea, causing him to have limited vision in his right eye and now must wear an eye patch. Another deputy suffered a bone chip to his right elbow, while a third deputy sprained some fingers on his hand.
Jayne now faces new charges of Assault by Prisoner, Aggravated Assault by Prison and Criminal Mischief.
Watch video of full Michael Jayne's November hearing below:
Jayne is accused of killing Ofc. Hooser moments after the officer and a Utah Highway Patrol trooper pulled over Jayne's truck on Interstate 15. Instead of exiting the cab of the truck, as instructed, Jayne allegedly turned around and sped towards the officers, striking Hooser.
After fleeing the scene, Jayne then stole multiple vehicles before he was located and stopped nearly 150 miles away in Vernal.
