Latest news with #BillHooser
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Family of fallen Santaquin officer line Main Street with blue ribbons, honoring his legacy
SANTAQUIN, Utah () — On Sunday, May 4, family and friends of Sgt. Bill Hooser gathered at his gravesite at the Santaquin Cemetery. It was a beautiful sunny morning with clouds on the horizon – a sign of more gloomy weather to mark the anniversary of his passing on May 5. The group that gathered was wearing matching shirts with the 'thin blue line,' a symbol representing support for law enforcement. The mission? To tie blue ribbons throughout the city to celebrate Hooser's life and legacy. 'We kid that Bill would have loved every second of it,' said Lynn Starley, Hooser's sister. 'He's here with us today. He's still here with us, just not in person.' Santaquin officer to be honored at Utah Capitol on first anniversary of his death 'He's soaking it all in,' joked Courtney Jones, his daughter. One year ago, Sgt. Bill Hooser was killed in the line of duty. He was performing a traffic stop on a semi-truck that later attempted to flee the scene. The suspect behind the wheel struck Hooser, taking his life on that stormy May day. 'To see this weather, one year later, it's hard,' said Kinder Hooser, Sgt. Bill Hooser's wife. 'Because it's how it was that morning of.' But the rainy and cloudy weather didn't stop Hooser's family and friends from completing their mission. You can see Sgt. Hooser's presence now all along Main Street in Santaquin. Blue ribbons line the road, tied around every light post. 'All the memories, you know, just flood me, and I miss him so much. I miss him,' said Kinder. But as bright as Bill Hooser's granddaughter's smile, who joins the other kids in running and playing, his family says that the sun, however cloudy, does shine again after that rain on a May morning in Santaquin. Family of fallen Santaquin officer line Main Street with blue ribbons, honoring his legacy Trump administration offers $1,000 to migrants who self-deport Santaquin Police Department remembers Sgt. Bill Hooser's legacy one year later Jazz extend coach Will Hardy's contract through 2031 Reigning Cup champion Joey Logano gets 1st win this season in overtime at Texas Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘I often think about how much he's missed,' says widow of slain police sergeant
Monday will mark the first anniversary of the death of Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser, 50, who was killed in the line of duty. 'I can't quite put into words how hard it's been without him here. I often think about how much he's missed out on in such a short amount of time,' his wife, Kinda Hooser, said Thursday. Since her husband's death, Hooser says the family has missed celebrating Father's Day with him and he missed his granddaughter turning 1, a family trip to Lake Powell, their 29th wedding anniversary, their youngest daughter getting married and he will miss the arrival of his first grandson later this year. Hooser talked about memories of her late husband on the west side of the state Capitol grounds, the site of the Utah Law Enforcement Memorial. On Thursday, Billy Dean Hooser's name was added to the memorial during a ceremony before state leaders and law enforcers from across the state. 'Every single day I wake up praying that I will not get that call that we have to add another name to this wall,' Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told the gathering while calling Hooser 'one of Utah's greatest heroes.' 'I am so proud of the law enforcement in this state. When you look at trust in organizations, in Utah, we have more trust in law enforcement than anywhere else in the country. That's not because the people of Utah are different than the other people in the country, it's because the men and women who put on the uniform to serve and protect us are different. They are the very best,' the governor said. 'This wall means so much more to all of us that are present today as well as those who can't be with us,' added retired Davis County Sheriff's Lt. Maureen Benson, the Utah Law Enforcement Memorial vice president. 'It represents not only the names on the wall, but the family, friends and co-workers that feel the loss. Each name on this wall is a hero. Each made a promise to serve and protect their communities. They promised that when a call came in for help, they would answer. They promised that when a crisis arose, they would respond. They served and sacrificed for a purpose far greater than themselves. 'There is no truer definition of a hero.' Santaquin Police Chief Rodney Hurst was asked to speak at Thursday's ceremony — his third memorial for Hooser at which he's been asked to speak. He says it doesn't get any easier. 'For me, it's like revisiting the successes and the failures all over again,' he said. 'Our job is to solve problems or otherwise fix things. Sgt. Bill Hooser's sacrifice was one of those problems I couldn't solve or fix. As the house of cards was crashing down on the survivors, there wasn't anything I could do to stop it. It doesn't happen very often, but it was one of those moments where the weight of despair was overwhelming, and the more you tried to fix it, the worse it got.' But the chief also said that faith and grace are all around, no matter how dark things might appear. 'We're just a few days shy of it being a year. And I can still hear Hooser's laugh or his heavy footsteps coming down the hall toward my office," he said. Kinda Hooser recalled always being on the go with her husband, either camping or hosting backyard BBQs or becoming involved in hourslong matches of cornhole with relatives. 'Looking back, I would give everything I have just to experience that type of happiness again,' she said. She also talked about his contagious laugh and his attitude of always wanting to help others. As for his police work, Hooser talked about how her husband took his duty as the department's field training officer — responsible for training new recruits — very seriously. 'Bill set the bar high,' she said. 'He was relentless about officer safety, tireless about proper report writing, and completely committed to making sure every trainee walked out ready to do the job right and make it home safe.' His prints can be seen on every officer he trained. 'Though he may be gone, his influence will never fade,' Kinda Hooser said. After Bill Hooser's plaque was added to the wall, doves were released, followed by bagpipes playing 'Amazing Grace,' a 21-gun salute and 'Taps' being played on a trumpet.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Santaquin officer to be honored at Utah Capitol on first anniversary of his death
SALT LAKE CITY () — Sgt. Bill Hooser, the Santaquin officer killed in the line of duty last year, will be honored Thursday as part of the Annual Utah Police Memorial Service where his name will be engraved on the Utah Law Enforcement Memorial Wall. According to the Santaquin Police Department, its office will be closed to the public for most of the day so officers can attend the ceremony at the Utah State Capitol. EXCLUSIVE: Wife of Sgt. Hooser speaks out for the first time Officers, family, friends, and leaders attend the annual event where they hold flag ceremonies, a service with bagpipes, the release of doves, and a rifle salute in honor of the 150 officers who have been killed in the line of duty in Utah, according to the Utah Law Enforcement Memorial. This year, the ceremony will include the engraving of Hooser's name on the Honor Wall. The Santaquin community has already begun honoring Hooser by wrapping city trees with blue ribbons. The tribute was done last year after his death, and the department asked for community help to do so again for this first anniversary. The ribbons are still available for pickup at the police department on Thursday and Friday, despite the office's partial closure. If you decide to participate in wrapping a tree with a blue ribbon, the department asks that you remove it after National Police Week, which ends on May 17. On May 5, 2024, Hooser was killed by a semi-truck after initiating a traffic stop. The driver, now identified as Michael Aaron Jayne — allegedly fled the scene before making a U-turn into Hooser. Hooser is survived by his wife, Kinda, and his two daughters and granddaughter. Mike Waltz out as Trump's national security adviser: Reports Santaquin officer to be honored at Utah Capitol on first anniversary of his death 'I truly love you': Florida teacher accused of sending 5th grader inappropriate letter 'Absolutely false': Tesla chair denies report that company is looking to replace Elon Musk Fatal crash in Midvale, motorcycle engulfed in flames Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
