MONTICELLO – A Monticello man was found guilty by a jury in Sullivan County Court on Wednesday for multiple counts, including attempted murder of a police officer, stemming from an incident that occurred on April 10, 2025.

According to New York State Police, on April 10 multiple police agencies responded to a 911 call reporting a shoplifting at a Dollar General in Monticello, as well as reports of shots fired at the Evergreen Apartment Complex located on Evergreen Drive in the Village of Monticello.

Deputy Sheriff Andrew Foertsch and Deputy Sheriff Daiana Doran of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office approached the suspect, now identified as Markell Jarrette, who began to remove articles of clothing and fled on foot, prompting a brief foot pursuit according to police.

Police say during the pursuit Jarrette produced a firearm and discharged it in the direction of the deputies and continued to flee a short distance before surrendering. During the incident, one of the deputies shot at Jarrette, striking him; he was later treated, transported to the hospital and released, according to police. 

After an eight-day trial the jury returned a guilty verdict against 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.

 “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,” stated Sullivan County District Attorney Brian Conaty, who prosecuted the trial along with Assistant District Attorney James McGlashin.

According to Conaty, Foertsch was not struck by the gunfire and only sustained minor injuries. 

“Deputy Foertsch was responding to a recent larceny complaint but instead was confronted with the potential loss of his life,” Conaty said.

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. 

Sullivan County Court Judge James 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.

“This was a cold and calculated attempt to murder a uniformed police officer in the line of duty,” Conaty said. “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.”

Conaty thanked the New York State Police, who led the investigation, and the members of their Forensic Identification Unit and Collision Reconstruction Unit.