BOSTON — A man was shot by Boston police after police say he fired at the officers first. The shooter is recovering at a hospital and the Suffolk District Attorney says he will face criminal charges. This all unfolded in Jamaica Plain near Franklin Park and Shattuck Hospital.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden says the officers tried to pull a car over, but it took off and then crashed. When police officers approached the first shots were fired.
You can hear the initial gunfire on police radio transmissions. “We have shots fired,” said the officer on the radio. Boston police say the officers were trying to pull a vehicle over just before 1 a.m. near Shattuck Hospital and Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain. “You have a routine traffic stop, not entirely routine because there is an accident involved here, leads to to a foot chase and discharge of a firearm at the officers that are engaged in that chase and that is always concerning,” said Hayden.
The DA says the suspect, who has been identified as Jeff Anilus, 31, of Randolph, was shot after he fired at the officers. The shooter is expected to survive and will face criminal charges including firing an illegal gun. “My message to anyone who carries an illegal gun on the street is that it is no longer okay,” said Hayden.
The vehicle police stopped is registered to an address in Weymouth but nobody responded at the apartment. The DA would not say if the suspect had a warrant or any prior criminal history. None of of the police officers were shot but they were all checked out. “Three officers were evaluated at the hospital and have been released and are doing okay. And one suffered minor injuries,” said Hayden.
The DA says his office recently launched an aggressive campaign to go after gun crimes. “We’ve gone through a process of making sure that indictment process also streamlined so we can get as many of those cases indicted as quickly as possible,” Hayden said
Anilus was ordered held without bail, pending a dangerousness hearing, at a bedside arraignment in Brigham and Women’s hospital Friday afternoon. He is recovering from gunshot wounds he sustained during the shootout.
He will be back in court on Wednesday, April 6th.
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