(WKYT) – Update: The suspect accused of shooting and killing 30-year-old Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips is in custody.
Kentucky State Police confirmed 51-year-old Emonnie Branch, of Portland, Tennessee, was pulled over by Trooper Phillips on I-65 in Warren County when he was shot. Branch fled the scene.
The above mugshot of Branch is from 2025, not the arrest made on Sept. 28.
The shooting happened just before 2 p.m. Central Time. Branch was arrested about four hours later, by 6:30, in Jefferson County on Dixie Highway.
Troopers say law enforcement from across the commonwealth set out to find Branch. Louisville police caught him by using a grappler to secure the car and suspect in Jefferson County.
Police say they learned about the shooting from a witness who drove by it.
For four hours, police searched for the suspected car, from Bowling Green where it started, through Lexington, to Louisville where it ended.
Branch is currently facing a murder of a first responder peace officer charge. He is waiting to be transported to Warren County.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky Kyle Bumgarner said Branch will face state murder charges.
“One of the men who wakes up every day, kisses a wife, and three little boys goodbye after strapping on his gun belt and putting on his badge is no longer with us. The day started as so many days do in law enforcement. They set out … he was senselessly murdered,” Bumgarner said.
State troopers lined the stage to show their support for Phillips and Phillips’ wife and three kids.
They took time to thank everyone who helped, not only in the search but also checking in on the troopers who had to see their fellow trooper killed on a routine stop.
Officials react
Kentucky officials, including Gov. Andy Beshear, quickly offered condolences, with Beshear calling Phillips a “hero who dedicated himself to protecting the commonwealth.”
Kentucky Speaker of the House David Osborne issued a statement offering sympathy to Phillips’ family: “There are no words that can adequately express our sympathy to Trooper Phillips’s family, friends, and loved ones. We grieve with them and with the entire Kentucky State Police family.”
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said that Phillips made the ultimate sacrifice.
“Earlier today, one of Kentucky’s Finest, Trooper Hayden Phillips, made the ultimate sacrifice. Behind the badge was a man with a family, brothers and sisters in gray, and a grateful Commonwealth,” Coleman said in a statement.
Kentucky State Senators Mike Wilson, David Givens and Max Wise issued a joint statement saying that they were devastated to hear of Phillips passing while also stating there was no room for violence against law enforcement.
“There is no excuse for violence against law enforcement. These men and women leave their families each day knowing a routine call or traffic stop can turn dangerous in an instant. Their families carry that burden with them. Today, one Kentucky family experienced the terrible reality behind that risk,” the senators said.
Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. said that the force will carry Phillips’ memory forever.
“His dedication to duty and commitment to the commonwealth will not be forgotten,” Burnett said in a statement. “Our hearts break for Trooper Phillips’ family, loved ones, and fellow troopers as we grieve this tremendous loss. We will carry his memory with us, honor the life he lived and the badge he wore, and stand together as an agency to support this family in the days ahead.”
Original story
Kentucky State Police are currently searching for a suspect in a deadly attack on law enforcement on I-65 near Smith’s Grove in Warren County on Monday afternoon.
KSP announced that Trooper Hayden Phillips was killed in the attack while patrolling I-65. Phillips is from Glasgow, Ky. and became a trooper in 2023.
A Blue Alert from the state police named the suspect as Emonnie Branch, described as a Black male with dreadlocks.
The incident was described in the alert as a “severe attack on law enforcement” that took place at 2:47 p.m.
Branch is believed to be traveling in a blue-gray Honda Civic with an Alabama temporary tag TN018596 that was last seen around the 75-mile marker.
Law enforcement considers Branch to be armed and dangerous. The public is warned not to approach him and to call 911.
The Bowling Green Police Department said that I-65 North is currently closed at mile marker 30 and advised drivers to seek alternate routes.
The Elizabethtown Police Department posted that there will be an increased law enforcement presence in and around Elizabethtown throughout Hardin County.
Officials react
Condolences quickly came from Kentucky officials, including Gov. Andy Beshear, who called Phillips a “hero who dedicated himself to protecting the commonwealth.”
Kentucky Speaker of the House David Osborne issued a statement offering sympathy to Phillips’ family:
“On behalf of the Kentucky House of Representatives, I offer our deepest condolences to the family of the Kentucky State Trooper Hayden Phillips. Kentucky has lost a great Kentuckian and a dedicated public servant. We will remember his service, honor his sacrifice and keep his family, his fellow Troopers, and all who knew and loved him in our prayers. There are no words that can adequately express our sympathy to Trooper Phillips’s family, friends, and loved ones. We grieve with them and with the entire Kentucky State Police family. We also stand firmly with his fellow Troopers and all of the men and women in law enforcement who put on the uniform each day knowing the risks they face. They are there for us in some of our most difficult moments, and today, we are there for them.”
This is a developing story.