Monday afternoon, September 28, Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips, 30, was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 65 in Warren County, and the suspect was caught in Louisville that same afternoon and charged with murder. Police have not released a motive.
Story Snapshot
- Trooper Hayden Phillips, 30, of Glasgow, was a husband and father of three.
- He was shot by someone inside a car he had pulled over on northbound I-65 near mile marker 38, close to Smiths Grove.
- Suspect Emonnie Branch, 51, of Portland, Tennessee, was arrested in Louisville and charged with murder of a police officer.
- Police have not released a motive.
What Police Say Happened On I-65
Phillips pulled over a car on northbound I-65 near mile marker 38 in Warren County. Police say someone inside the car shot him, and the car sped away. Phillips was killed. He had served three years with Kentucky State Police at Post 3 in Bowling Green, after working for the Russell Springs and Glasgow police departments. He graduated with Cadet Class 103 in 2023. He leaves behind his wife, three children and his parents.
A Kentucky State Police trooper is dead and a suspect has been taken into custody after a shooting along Interstate 65 in Warren County. pic.twitter.com/dK98hWA1Nu
— WKRN News 2 (@WKRN) September 29, 2026
Police sent out a statewide Blue Alert that described the car and later named the suspect. A Blue Alert goes out when an officer has been hurt or killed and the public’s help is needed to find the person responsible. All northbound lanes of I-65 near the scene were closed while officers worked.
Suspect Caught In Louisville
Later that Monday afternoon, officers in Louisville found the bluish-gray Honda Civic. They used a grappler device to stop the car, and Louisville Metro Police took Emonnie Branch, 51, of Portland, Tennessee, into custody. The arrest ended the manhunt.
Branch is charged with murder of a police officer. Police have not released a motive. Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. said, “Please know we will seek justice for Hayden, we will not rest until this happens.” U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner called the killing “the most heinous crime that can be committed in our commonwealth.”
Why This Matters Beyond One Case
Phillips was doing routine work on a busy interstate when he was shot. The Blue Alert put the car’s description in front of drivers and officers across the state, and the suspect was in custody within hours of the shooting.
Troopers work that stretch of I-65 to keep drivers safe, and Phillips gave his life doing that job. Commissioner Burnett has promised justice for him. Branch now faces a murder charge in the death of a husband and father of three.
Sources:
fox17.com, actionnewsjax.com, wsmv.com, www-cdn.abcnews.com, wnky.com, wcpo.com, whas11.com
