Remembering Brenda Cowan, Lexington’s first Black woman firefighter

Editor’s Note: As Lexington celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Herald-Leader and kentucky.com each day throughout 2025 will share interesting facts about our hometown. Compiled by Liz Carey, all are notable moments in the city’s history — some funny, some sad, others heartbreaking or celebratory, and some just downright strange.

Lexington’s first Black woman who was a firefighter, Lieutenant Brenda Cowan, died in the line of duty.

She died Feb. 13, 2004, when she was shot at the scene of a domestic dispute. She had been a firefighter for 12 years and was 40 years old, and had been promoted to lieutenant just days prior to her death.

Cowan grew up in Sturgis and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in psychology. An avid fan of the Lady Cats basketball team, she was a Wildcat Lodge Little Sister and became lifelong friends with members of thewomen’s basketball team.

After graduation, she joined the Lexington Fire Department, where she was widely respected.

“She just had an affectionate smile and personality that just made you feel good, and it was a joy to work with her,” Lt. Gavin McMenama told the Lexington Herald-Leader. “She was a very good fireman. She was just an even better human being and just a pleasure to be with and make doing our jobs, sometimes when it’s tough, made a lot easier for how she handled things and how she approached things.”

Cowan had just been promoted to lieutenant when sheresponded to a domestic violence call in south Lexington.

Fontaine Hutchinson had been shot in the head by her husband, Patrick Hutchinson. When other emergency crew members arrived on scene, Cowan and another firefighter, Jim Sanford, approached the house to get to the injured woman. However, Patrick Hutchinson fired on them, striking both multiple times.

Hutchinson told Herald-Leader reporter Janet Patton he was staging a coup against alien-created human clones, and that he shot his wife because she had been taken over by the aliens and had a radio in her head.

According to him, aliens had taken over the federal government.

“There’s only 735 humans left in Lexington, and about 3 million left worldwide,” he told reporters.

His actions, he said, were the beginning of an Armageddon, and he had been told by a snake carrying a branch he was the leader of the “tribe of the stick,” with more than 250 panther-tiger and thousands of cobra members.

Hutchinson barricaded himself in his house on Adams Lane near I-75. Police negotiated with Hutchinson as four first responders trapped in their vehicle were rescued.

Crews extracted Cowan and Sanford as law enforcement began negotiations with Hutchinson. After a six-hour standoff, chemicals shot into the building forced Hutchinson from his home. Cowan died at the hospital.

Her death marked the first Black woman firefighter to die in the line of duty in the United States.

Her loss and legacy were felt throughout the community. An elementary school in Lexington, Brenda Cowan Elementary, was named after her and the Lexington Fire Department began hosting an annual fire camp for girls in her honor.

Hutchinson was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. He pleaded guilty but mentally ill in 2008 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He is currently 66 years old and lodged at the Kentucky State Reformatory. Hutchinson is eligible for parole in 2028, and his sentence ends Dec. 3, 2033.

Have a question or story idea related to Lexington’s 250-year history? Let us know at 250LexKy@gmail.com.