Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 65 in Warren County on Monday, September 28, triggering a large multi-agency manhunt that ended with the suspect being arrested in Louisville.
Phillips, 30, was conducting the traffic stop on I-65 North near Smiths Grove when he was fatally shot, according to Kentucky State Police. The vehicle involved then fled north, setting off a Blue Alert and an intensive search across several counties.
The suspect was later identified as Emonnie Branch, 51, of Portland, Tennessee. Kentucky State Police confirmed Monday night that Branch had been charged with first-degree murder of a first responder in connection with Phillips’ death.
Traffic Stop Turns Into Statewide Manhunt
Police said Phillips initiated the traffic stop in Warren County shortly after 2 p.m. Central Time. A statewide public safety alert later placed the shooting at approximately 2:47 p.m. near the 38-mile marker of I-65 North.
Exactly what happened during the stop has not yet been made public. Investigators have not disclosed why Phillips stopped the vehicle, what interaction took place before shots were fired or how many shots were fired.
After the shooting, authorities began searching for a bluish-gray 2025 Honda Civic displaying temporary Alabama tag TN018596. The vehicle was later reported northbound around mile marker 75.
Kentucky State Police issued a Blue Alert, warning that Branch should be considered armed and dangerous and telling members of the public not to approach him.
The search spread north along the interstate. Police agencies around Elizabethtown and Hardin County announced an increased law-enforcement presence as officers tried to locate the Honda.
I-65 North was also closed near the shooting scene while investigators processed the area. Motorists were diverted at Exit 30.
The manhunt ended later Monday when Louisville Metro Police arrested Branch on Dixie Highway, roughly 90 miles north of the shooting scene. The Blue Alert was subsequently canceled.
Authorities said Branch would be returned to Warren County to face prosecution. According to LEX 18, Kentucky State Police confirmed during an evening news conference that Branch was charged with first-degree murder of a first responder.
Who Was Trooper Hayden Phillips?
Phillips served with Kentucky State Police Post 3 in Bowling Green and was identified by the agency as Unit 369. He graduated from KSP Cadet Class 103 and joined the state police in 2023 after previously working for the Glasgow Police Department.
He was a husband and father of three children.
Kentucky State Police Commissioner Col. Phillip Burnett Jr. said Phillips had made the âultimate sacrificeâ while serving the Commonwealth.
âHis dedication to duty and commitment to the Commonwealth will not be forgotten.â
At the evening news conference, Post 3 Public Affairs Officer Trooper Katan Parker gave a more personal account of the loss.
âHayden was our brother … Hayden was special.â
Parker said Phillips would be deeply missed by the troopers who worked alongside him.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear also described Phillips as a devoted husband, father and public servant following the shooting. The Associated Press reported that Phillips was a three-year Kentucky State Police veteran.
The killing comes more than a decade after another Kentucky trooper was fatally shot following a traffic stop. Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder was killed in September 2015 after a stop on Interstate 24.
Other recent traffic-stop cases have also led to major police responses, including the arrest of an attempted-murder suspect following a traffic stop in Vanceboro.
Several key questions remain unanswered. Kentucky State Police have not yet said why Phillips initially stopped the Honda, whether Phillips and Branch exchanged gunfire, what firearm was recovered or whether anyone else was inside the vehicle.
The investigation remains active, and additional details are expected as authorities release reports and court records in the case.
Note: Emonnie Branch has been charged in connection with the case. Criminal charges are allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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