Monticello, NY - On February 11, 2026, Sullivan County District Attorney Brian P. Conaty announced that a Sullivan County jury returned a guilty verdict against Markell Jarrette, 30, of Monticello, for Attempted Murder in the First Degree, a class A-I felony; Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, a class B violent felony; two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, class C violent felonies; Criminal Use of a Firearm in the First Degree, a class C violent felony; and Menacing a Police Officer, a class D violent felony, stemming from a violent attack on an on-duty, uniformed law enforcement officer.
Jarrette’s convictions followed an eight day jury trial where the jury found that on April 10, 2025, Jarrette attempted to murder Sullivan County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Foertsch, by pointing a loaded and illegal firearm at him at point-blank range and discharging the illegal firearm multiple times at Deputy Foertsch. Deputy Foertsch was responding to a recent larceny complaint but instead was confronted with the potential loss of his life. Thankfully, Deputy Foertsch was not struck by the gunfire and only sustained minor injuries. Throughout the course of the trial the jury received testimony from 24 witnesses and further received over 50 exhibits that were entered into evidence including surveillance footage, police radio transmissions, firearms, spent shell casings, a spent projectile, DNA evidence linking Jarrette to the trigger and magazine of the illegal firearm, and ballistics evidence linking the spent shell casings and projectile to Jarrette’s illegal firearm. This case was prosecuted at trial by District Attorney Brian P. Conaty with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney James McGlashin while Sullivan County Court Judge James R. Farrell presided over the trial.
Jarrette will be sentenced on April 22, 2026, where his maximum exposure under the law is 63 years to life incarceration in state prison.
Conaty said: “This was a cold and calculated attempt to murder a uniformed police officer in the line of duty. Let me be absolutely clear: anyone who targets a law enforcement officer is declaring war on the safety and order of our community. We will not tolerate it. We will not excuse it. And I will pursue the maximum consequences that the law allows. Our officers put on the badge knowing the risks, but they should always return to their families embrace at the end of their shifts. We are grateful that Deputy Foertsch survived this deliberate and senseless act, and we commend his courageous response and the professionalism of everyone who responded that day. I wish to thank the New York State Police who led this investigation and specifically thank the members of their Forensic Identification Unit and Collision Reconstruction Unit for their thorough and comprehensive processing of the evidence collected in this case and diagraming the crime scene. Today’s verdict is a testament to their courage and to the unwavering resolve of this office. We stand in strength, shoulder to shoulder with the men and women who put on the uniform and swear to protect us every single day.”
