LOUISVILLE, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — An Indiana man has pleaded guilty to selling a convicted felon the gun used to kill Russell County Deputy Josh Phipps .
According to court documents, between November of 2023 and January of 2024, Kays transported and transferred a Smith & Wesson, Model SD9VE, nine-millimeter pistol to 41-year-old Joshua Arnold, a convicted felon. This gun was later used in a Russell County shooting that left a sheriff’s deputy dead.
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Around 5:27 p.m. on Sept. 16 , Phipps was called to assist in a search for Arnold after he fled a traffic stop and shot at a Kentucky State Police trooper. KSP said that Phipps went inside a camper trailer on the property, and shortly after, multiple gunshots were heard coming from inside. When troopers went inside, they found Phipps and Arnold both with life-threatening gunshot wounds, per KSP. Both men were taken to an area hospital, where they later died.