MONTICELLO - It was quick thinking and springing to action that earned Sullivan County Sheriff's Office Deputy Markus Pratti the TACTICAL Award.

The award was presented to Pratti by the Monticello Rotary Club on Tuesday night during its meeting at Albella Restaurant in Monticello.

“The TACTICAL Award was created to show the heart behind the blue line,” said Rotary President Todd Grodin.

TACTICAL stands for “Thank a Cop that is Compassionate and Laudable,” and was suggested by Rotary member Carmine Ribaudo, whose business Rigg's Plumbing and Heating sponsored the award.

On August 17, Pratti was driving to Albany on official duty. While in Albany, he was flagged down by bystanders who said there were two men in a car who had both been shot. One man was shot in the arm and the other in the back of the head (he unfortunately perished).

Pratti grabbed a tactical trauma kit from his patrol car and applied it to the men's wounds. Local Albany police troopers began to show up and assist Pratti. They were able to save the other man's life.

“For his quick thinking and executing all his training perfectly Sheriff Michael Schiff nominated Deputy Pratti for this award,” Undersheriff Eric Chaboty remarked.

Pratti joined the Sheriff's Office in 2017 in the jail's corrections division and joined the road patrol in 2019.

On hand to congratulate Pratti were Sheriff Michael Schiff and Undersheriff Eric Chaboty, and representing New York State Police were Lieutenant Kyle Kroeger, Sergeant Chris Viola and Trooper Sean Drown.