WARREN COUNTY, Ky. (WOKI / WVLT) — A massive manhunt ended Monday evening with the arrest of the suspect accused of fatally shooting Trooper Hayden Phillips of the Kentucky State Police during a traffic stop along Interstate 65 in Warren County.
Authorities say Emonnie Branch, 51, was taken into custody around 6:30 p.m. in Jefferson County after law enforcement officers located the vehicle he was driving and used a grappler device to stop it on Dixie Highway. The arrest came roughly four hours after the shooting.
According to investigators, Trooper Hayden Phillips had stopped Branch’s vehicle on I-65 in Warren County when he was shot. A passing motorist witnessed the incident and alerted authorities. Branch then fled the scene, triggering a statewide search that stretched from Bowling Green through central Kentucky and ultimately into Louisville.
Branch is currently charged with the murder of a peace officer and is expected to be transported to Warren County to face prosecution. U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner said the suspect will face state murder charges.
During an emotional news conference, Bumgarner remembered the fallen trooper.
“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,” Bumgarner said. “He was senselessly murdered.”
Phillips was 30 years old, lived in Glasgow, Kentucky, and became a state trooper in 2023. Fellow troopers stood alongside his family during the announcement, showing support for his wife and three young sons.
The shooting prompted an outpouring of condolences from leaders across the Commonwealth.
Governor Andy Beshear called Phillips a hero who dedicated his life to protecting Kentucky. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said the trooper made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the Commonwealth. Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. vowed that Phillips’ dedication and commitment to duty would never be forgotten.
Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne also expressed sympathy to Phillips’ family and fellow troopers, saying Kentucky had lost a dedicated public servant and that the entire state grieves alongside the law enforcement community.
Investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the deadly shooting as Kentucky State Police prepare to honor one of their own who died in the line of duty.
