Man who shot at cops after crashing his car in Franklin Park gets 15 to 18 years

A career criminal was sentenced to 15 to 18 years in prison for a 2022 chase that ended with him shooting at cops, missing, running away, aiming the gun at other cops, then getting shot himself, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted Jeff Anilus, 33, of Randolph, on two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon (gun), possessing a firearm without a license and possessing a loaded firearm without a license in January. Judge Josh Wall then sentenced Anilus yesterday after officially declaring him an armed career criminal, based on past drug and assault convictions, the DA's office reports.

The DA's office provided this account of events shortly after midnight on March 31, 2022:

Boston police on patrol near Blue Hill Avenue and Columbia Road observed a Honda Civic driving the wrong way on a one-way road. They attempted to stop the car and the car sped off, and shortly after crashed into stone barriers along Jewish Memorial Drive near the Shattuck Hospital. Officers saw the driver, later identified as Anilus, retrieve an object from the vehicle and then flee on foot. Officers gave chase. In the Shattuck parking lot, Anilus turned and fired a shot at the officers, hitting a tree instead. The officers reported shots fired, drawing more officers to the scene.

After firing the shot Anilus ran into a wooded area behind the hospital. An officer searching the area saw Anilus lying in some brush, with a gun pointed directly at the officer. The officer commanded Anilus to drop the gun and show his hands. Anilus said he would surrender, but then ran back toward the Shattuck. He was spotted by other officers and ordered to show his hands. Instead, Anilus displayed a gun, at which point officers opened fire, striking and wounding Anilus.

Officers recovered the gun. It contained a high-capacity feeding device with 13 rounds.

Notably, it had jammed.

Because of his injuries, Anilus was arraigned in a hospital bed.