NewsCovering Kentucky

Actions

Sunday marks 18 years since Brenda Cowan's death

Brenda Cowan
Posted at 12:16 PM, Feb 13, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-13 12:28:08-05

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Sunday marks the 18th anniversary of Brenda Cowan's death.

Cowan was the city’s first African-American female firefighter.

She was shot and killed on the job while responding to a domestic violence call on February 13, 2004.

Lieutenant Cowan had responded to a home on Adams Lane in southeast Lexington.

A man had shot his wife then turned the gun on firefighters and police.

Cowan was fatally wounded. She was 40 years old.

Members of the Lexington Fire Department say they will never forget the sacrifice she made.

In 2019, Lexington's newest elementary school was named in her honor.