A Randolph man was hit with a 15- to 18-year stint in the slammer for a violent 2022 shootout with Boston police, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden's office said. The man, Jeff Anilus, 33, was also slapped with two years of probation following his incarceration after being convicted by a jury this past January on multiple counts, including two charges of assault with a dangerous weapon (gun).
Anilus tried to physically outpace justice after being spotted by police driving the wrong way on a one-way street, resulting in a high-stakes foot chase and an exchange of gunfire that left him injured. A judge determined that Anilus's rap sheet, lined with prior drug and assault convictions, warranted an armed career criminal classification, bumping up his prison time.
The showdown took place in the early hours of March 31, 2022, according to official statements from the DA's office. Boston cops tried to pull over Anilus's Honda Civic, but he gunned it and crashed his ride near Shattuck Hospital. The encounter escalated rapidly when Anilus fled on foot, with gun in hand, and fired at officers, missing them but striking a tree.
As more officers converged to back up their comrades, Anilus ducked into woods behind the hospital. There, he aimed his gun at an officer who discovered him hiding. Defying a direct order to surrender, Anilus instead chose to run again, leading to a second standoff where cops had to open fire to stop him. They recovered his weapon, a pistol kitted out with a high-capacity magazine that jammed, mercifully preventing further shots.
"This was quick, courageous and effective work by every officer on the scene that night in a tense and chaotic and potentially deadly situation. This man’s actions that morning along with his prior offenses make clear that he is a threat to society and deserves the sentence he received today," Hayden stated, commending the bravery of the officers involved in the life-threatening incident.
