The Tennessee man accused of fatally shooting Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips entered a plea of not guilty in a Warren County courtroom Tuesday morning.
Emonnie Branch, of Portland, Tennessee, faces charges of murder of a first responder, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and tampering with physical evidence. A Warren County grand jury indicted Branch earlier this month.
The charges stem from the September 28 shooting during a traffic stop on Interstate 65 in Warren County.
Phillips was a Russell County native and a 2016 graduate of Russell County High School. He previously served with the Russell Springs Police Department before joining Kentucky State Police.