Lexington, Kentucky Man Indicted On Two Murder Charges

Sept. 14, 2004
A man charged with killing his wife and a Lexington firefighter during a standoff in February was indicted Tuesday on two murder counts.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- A man charged with killing his wife and a Lexington firefighter during a standoff in February was indicted Tuesday on two murder counts.

Patrick Hutchinson was arrested on Feb. 13 after a six-hour standoff with police. Firefighters were shot at as they arrived at his home near Interstate 75 to treat his wife, who had been shot.

Lexington Fire Lt. Brenda Cowan, 40, was fatally shot as she tried to assist Hutchinson's wife, Fontaine, who was in the front yard. Another firefighter, Jim Sandford, also was shot, but survived.

Hutchinson also was indicted on a wanton endangerment charge. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in district court.

He has been undergoing court-ordered mental evaluations at the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center in LaGrange.

He will be arraigned in Fayette County Circuit Court when those evaluations are complete, according to court documents.

Cowan was the third Lexington firefighter to die in the line of duty, according to the department.

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