By admin 
A Kentucky State Police trooper was killed in the line of duty while patrolling Interstate 65 in Warren County Monday, state police announced on social media.
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Trooper Hayden Phillips, Unit 369, was killed Monday afternoon, according to Kentucky State Police. He was assigned to Kentucky State Post 3 and graduated in Cadet Class 103.
Kentucky State Police previously said there had been a “trooper-involved shooting” and they were searching for a suspect who had fled. State police’s posts did not indicate what led up to the shooting.
“His dedication to duty and commitment to the commonwealth will not be forgotten,” said KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. “Our hearts break for Trooper Phillips’ family, loved ones, and fellow troopers as we grieve this tremendous loss. We will carry his memory with us, honor the life he lived and the badge he wore, and stand together as an agency to support this family in the days ahead.”
Gov. Andy Beshear also posted to offer condolences and confirmed Phillips was shot.
“Hayden was a hero who dedicated himself to protecting our commonwealth,” Beshear said in the post. “Even more, he was a devoted husband and loving father to three children. Let us wrap our arms around this family during this unimaginable time.”
State House of Representatives Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, said in a statement Kentucky lost a dedicated public servant.
“There are no words that can adequately express our sympathy to Trooper Phillips’s family, friends, and loved ones,” Osborne said. “We grieve with them and with the entire Kentucky State Police family.”
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Attorney General Russell Coleman confirmed in a statement that detectives from his office were on the scene.
“Behind the badge was a man with a family, brothers and sisters in gray, and a grateful Commonwealth,” Coleman said in a press release. “Detectives from the Attorney General’s Office were on the scene and will continue to support our Kentucky State Police colleagues.”
What we know about the shooting
A BLUE Alert was sent out Monday around 3:30 p.m., alerting the public that a suspect is wanted in connection with a “severe attack” against a member of law enforcement. The incident happened in Warren County, state police say.
A BLUE Alert is an emergency notification used to enlist the public’s help when a law enforcement officer has been killed, seriously injured, or is missing in the line of duty.
The suspect was last seen in Warren County on Interstate 65 near the 75-mile marker. The suspect was described as driving a “bluish gray” 2025 Honda Civic with temporary Alabama plates, according to KSP.
At around 7 p.m., state police said the suspect had been detained.
This story was originally published September 28, 2026 at 2:00 PM with the headline “Kentucky trooper killed while on duty, state police say. ‘Our hearts break.’.”
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