On September 16, 2024, Russell County lost Deputy Sheriff Joshua C. Phipps. He was 38 years old, carried badge 1442, and had given three years to the Russell County Sheriff’s Office. The facts are stark: he was shot and killed while pursuing a fleeing suspect, leaving behind a department, a community, and everyone who knew the shape of his presence with an absence that cannot be repaired. Deputy Phipps was assisting the Kentucky State Police in apprehending a suspect who had fled on foot when gunfire was exchanged at approximately 5:27 p.m. He was transported to Russell County Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.…

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