Hayden Phillips: Kentucky State Police Pay Tribute to Trooper Killed in I-65 Shooting

Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips was killed in a shooting while patrolling Interstate 65 in Warren County on Monday, September 28, the agency confirmed.

Authorities identified the suspect being sought as Emonnie Branch. He remained at large as police continued their search following the shooting near Smiths Grove.

Police consider Branch armed and dangerous and urged anyone who sees him to call 911 immediately without approaching him.

Blue Alert Identifies Suspect’s Vehicle

According to the police alert, Branch may be traveling in a blue-gray Honda Civic displaying temporary Alabama license plate TN018596.

The vehicle was last reported near mile marker 75 on northbound I-65. Police described Branch as a Black man with dreadlocks.

The shooting prompted a closure on northbound I-65, with motorists directed to alternative routes. Elizabethtown police also announced an increased law enforcement presence in the city and surrounding Hardin County.

Kentucky State Police Mourn Hayden Phillips

Phillips, Unit 369, was assigned to Post 3 in Bowling Green and graduated from Cadet Class 103, according to the agency’s statement.

Kentucky State Police Commissioner Col. Phillip Burnett Jr. expressed condolences to Phillips’s family, loved ones and fellow troopers.

“His dedication to duty and commitment to the commonwealth will not be forgotten,” Burnett said.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.