BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WMDJ) - A Tennessee man accused of fatally shooting a Kentucky State Police trooper during a traffic stop has pleaded not guilty.
 

Emonnie Branch, 51, of Portland, Tennessee, appeared in Warren Circuit Court Tuesday, October 27, on charges of murder of a first responder, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and tampering with physical evidence.
 

Branch is accused of shooting Trooper Hayden Phillips, 28, during a September 28 traffic stop on Interstate 65 in Warren County. Investigators say Branch fled the scene before being arrested later that day in Louisville.
 

During Tuesday's hearing, the court appointed public defenders to represent Branch and ordered evidence in state custody to be preserved. Members of Phillips' family and law enforcement attended the proceeding.
 

Branch is scheduled to return to court February 12, 2027, for a pretrial conference.
 

The murder charge is a capital offense, but prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek the death penalty.
 

Branch is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.