Career criminal arrested in vehicular homicide of Utah officer has over 20 previous counts for targeting cops

A man with a history of targeting cops has been arrested after fatally hitting a Utah police officer with a semi-truck. He has over 20 previous counts of targeting cops. 

Michael Aaron Jayne, 41, has been arrested after being accused of killing a police officer in Utah over the weekend. Jayne has a long rap sheet of targeting cops with 17 counts of assaulting correctional officers and making criminal threats while in prison as well as attempted murder of other law enforcement in Oregon. 

During a traffic stop over the weekend, Jayne fled a traffic stop when he was on the highway. As he drove away, he turned around to drive the wrong way on the road and then struck the vehicle of a Santaquin police officer and a Utah Highway Patrol vehicle. The Santaquin officer died at the scene, according to Fox News.  

A manhunt then commenced where Jayne reportedly stole multiple vehicles in order to evade law enforcement. He was later arrested.  

"Our entire department is hurt, and the family of the officer is hurt," Santaquin Police Lt. Mike Wall said at an emotional press conference. "Because of a senseless act by one individual, we have family members who will miss their father at their nearing wedding. But I can assure you that we as a police department will stand up and will be there, and we are one family." 

In 2009, Jayne was charged at age 27 with attempted murder of an Oregon police officer, according to the Herald and News. He was later convicted of 2 counts of attempted aggravated murder and 2 counts of first-degree assault. He was accused of leading troopers in a chase and then attempting to cause a head-on collision with a vehicle.  

He was later the subject of 17 counts in California for assault upon a correctional officer and making criminal threats while in prison in California. During his time in Shasta County, California prison, he also brought a lawsuit over the disciplinary diet he was given. He frequently was an issue in prison and was written up 35 times in the California facility, according to Record Searchlight.