Kentucky state trooper was shot and killed during routine traffic stop
Trooper Hayden Phillips, Kentucky State Police
A Kentucky State Police trooper was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop along Interstate 65, authorities said. A suspect was arrested nearly 100 miles away and is expected to face a murder charge.
What we know:
Trooper Hayden Phillips, 30, was shot after pulling over a vehicle in Warren County, according to state officials.
Big picture view:
Kentucky State Police Commissioner Col. Phillip Burnett Jr. said authorities launched a search following the shooting and located the suspect in Jefferson County, nearly 100 miles from the scene. Louisville police later took the 51-year-old man into custody.
The suspect was returned to Warren County, where authorities said he will face a state murder charge.
U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner for the Western District of Kentucky said Phillips was conducting a "routine traffic stop" when he was shot.
What we don't know:
No information was given on what happened during the course of the traffic stop that led to the shooting.
What they're saying:
"This is among, if not among, it is the most heinous crime that can be committed in our commonwealth," Bumgarner said. "One of our own was gunned down and murdered on the side of the road."
Trooper Phillips, leaves behind a wife and three children. He had been with the state police for three years.
Kentucky Gov. Beschear called Phillips, "a hero who dedicated himself to protecting our commonwealth."