WARREN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX News) — A Kentucky State Trooper was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Warren County on Monday afternoon. The suspect, Emonnie Branch Sr., had prior convictions in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Hayden Phillips, a 28-year-old Kentucky State Trooper and father of three, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Warren County on Monday afternoon.
Hours later, 51-year-old Emonnie Branch Sr. was arrested in Louisville and charged with murder of a first responder.
Through an open records request, LEX News obtained Branch's Kentucky criminal history, which listed several charges in addition to the murder charge, including misdemeanor assault and driving on a suspended license, dating back to 2005.
LEX News also obtained a stack of citations and case numbers from Sumner County, Tennessee, and contacted the Sumner County Circuit Court to learn more about Branch's history there.
Sumner County Circuit Court told Lex News that Branch pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon by a convicted felon in 2007, fraud in 2020, and domestic violence and coercion of a witness in July 2025.
Tennessee court documents show Branch received a five-year probation sentence following his domestic violence conviction. Those same documents indicate Branch violated his probation for a drug-related incident in April 2026, and he was scheduled for a violation hearing in November of this year.
Branch is currently held in the Warren County Regional Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Friday morning.
