Funeral for Trooper Phillips will be 12 noon Sunday at WUK Diddle Arena
In honor of Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden W. Phillips, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Bowling green on Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear ordered flags at all state buildings to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, Oct. 4.
Phillips graduated from KSP Academy Class 103 in August 2023 and served his entire tenure with KSP at Post 3 in Bowling Green. Prior to becoming a state trooper, Phillips served with the Glasgow Police Department and was also a seasonal firefighter, said a release from the governor’s office.
In a connection to the incident, the Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team has been requested by KSP Post 3 Bowling Green to investigate the incident, said a KSP release.
According to the KSP release, KSP Post 3 Bowling Green received a call that a trooper had been shot on Interstate 65 just north of Bowling Green.
The preliminary investigation indicates that Phillips, 28, conducted a traffic stop near northbound I-65 mile marker 39 when he was fatally shot by the driver of the vehicle, who then fled the scene., said the release.
Based on witness information as well as Phillips’s dash camera and body-worn camera footage, a suspect vehicle was developed. Through partnerships with local, state and federal agencies, the suspect was identified as 51-year-old Emonnie Branch of Portland, Tenn.
Shortly after 5 p.m. CT, a vehicle matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle was located in Louisville. The Louisville Metro Police Department utilized a grappler device, stopping the vehicle on Dixie Highway near Burwell Avenue, said KSP.
The operator and sole occupant of the vehicle was taken into custody without further incident. No other injuries were reported.
Currently, the suspect is charged with Murder of First Responder (Peace Officer). The investigation remains ongoing, said KSP.
“Trooper Hayden Phillips was a hero who sacrificed everything protecting our people and our commonwealth, and it is our sacred duty to honor him and his family,” said Gov. Beshear. “I am asking Kentuckians to join me in continuing to pray for his wife, Jordan, and their three children during this difficult time. If you wish to support them, consider donating to the Kentucky State Police Foundation, where all proceeds will go directly to the family.”
Donations to the Kentucky State Police Foundation for the benefit of the Phillips family can be made at kspfoundation.org/donations.
A funeral service for Trooper Phillips will be held at E.A. Diddle Arena on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green at noon CDT on Sunday. Interment will follow at Glasgow Municipal Cemetery.
Gov. Beshear encourages individuals, businesses and organizations throughout the commonwealth to join in this tribute. Flag status information is available at governor.ky.gov/flag-status.
