Sullivan County jury convicts man of attempted murder of officers with 'ghost gun'
MONTICELLO — An Orange County man was convicted in Sullivan County Court on Friday of the attempted murder of two state police troopers in 2021.
Acting Sullivan County District Attorney Brian P. Conaty said a jury found Patrick Hermanowski, 41, of Westbrookville, guilty of two counts each of attempted first-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count each of attempted first-degree robbery and second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, all felonies.
The trial lasted four days.
Conaty said that the jury found that Hermanowski intentionally possessed and fired a 9mm "ghost gun" pistol at two on-duty uniformed members of the state police.
After the shooting, Hermanowski was found to be in possession of more than two ounces of methamphetamine.
Conaty, who prosecuted the case himself with Assistant District Attorney William Varade, said Hermanowski, who has three prior felony convictions, faces life in prison when he is sentenced June 16.
State police said at the time of the shooting that at about 2:50 p.m. on Sept. 12, 2021, they had responded to a 911 report of a domestic dispute on Route 209 in Westbrookville, a hamlet in the town of Deerpark.
By the time state police and town of Deerpark police arrived, Hermanowski had fled into a wooded area with a firearm.
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State police said Hermanowski attempted to hide from police by entering an abandoned Airstream trailer on Jagger Lane in the Sullivan County town of Mamakating.
As two responding state troopers approached the trailer, Hermanowski fired at them from inside. The troopers returned fire and Hermanowski came out of the trailer after he was hit by the gunfire and was taken into custody.
Hermanowski was provided immediate aid at the scene by other responding troopers and then taken to a hospital for additional treatment. No troopers were injured.
The name of Hermanowski's attorney was not immediately available.
Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @mikerandall845.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Westbrookville man guilty of attempted murder of police officers
