Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips Killed, Suspect Arrested

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Summary: Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips died Sept. 28 after being shot during a traffic stop in Warren County. The investigation remains active. Emonnie Branch was taken into custody in Louisville later that day.

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Warren County, Kentucky — Sept. 28, 2026

A routine patrol along a Kentucky interstate turned deadly Monday when Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips was shot during a traffic stop in Warren County. Emonnie Branch is accused of killing Phillips during an incident on I-65 in Warren County on Monday afternoon and was taken into custody in Louisville later that day.

Phillips, assigned to KSP Post 3 in Bowling Green, was conducting patrol duties on Interstate 65 when the shooting occurred. The incident was reported in the afternoon, and Phillips later died from his injuries, according to Kentucky State Police.

Kentucky State Police identified Phillips as Unit 369 and said he was a graduate of Cadet Class 103. The agency announced his death Sept. 28 as investigators continued searching for the person responsible.

The shooting occurred in Warren County near the Smiths Grove area. Authorities closed northbound I-65 while officers and other emergency personnel responded to the scene. A public safety alert described a vehicle authorities believed was involved and warned that the suspect should be considered dangerous.

Officials have released only limited information about the circumstances leading to the shooting. The investigation remains active, and additional details are expected as investigators establish the sequence of events.

Phillips joined Kentucky State Police after previously working in law enforcement in the Glasgow area. He was among 51 cadets who graduated from the KSP Training Academy in August 2023 after completing roughly 24 weeks of training.

KSP records from that graduation list Phillips, of Glasgow, as one of four new troopers assigned to Post 3 in Bowling Green. The class received more than 1,000 hours of classroom and field instruction covering areas including traffic enforcement, criminal investigations, defensive tactics and emergency response.

His name had also appeared in earlier KSP investigations. In October 2024, the agency identified Phillips as the trooper leading an investigation following a traffic stop and foot pursuit in Barren County.

The investigation into the Sept. 28 shooting is continuing. Authorities have not announced an arrest in connection with Phillips' death as of Monday evening.

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Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Sources/related links:

Kentucky State Police — Cadet Class 103
WNKY News 40 — Trooper Hayden Phillips killed in Warren County
Glasgow News 1 — State police release name of trooper shot and killed
Kentucky State Police — Earlier investigation involving Trooper Phillips

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