Defendant Gets Two Life Sentences For ‘One-Man Crime Spree’

By Andrew Michaels - December 5, 2022
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

“My life isn’t comfortable anymore. I’m grateful that, by the grace of God, it wasn’t my time yet.”

A born-and-raised Baltimore man stood before a crowded Baltimore City courtroom on Dec. 2 as he recalled the night homicide defendant Antonio Janifer almost claimed his life.

Janifer, 31, who was found guilty of multiple counts of attempted murder and firearms charges in September, stood feet away beside his defense attorney, David Shapiro, as he listened to Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Jones’ ruling of two life sentences plus 213 years, with the first 35 years without parole.

The defendant’s week-long trial concluded with a guilty verdict on Sept. 22 in connection to an incident on Memorial Day weekend in 2020.

According to charging documents, a Baltimore Police officer saw Janifer driving erratically in a 2003 silver Ford Crown Victoria, suspected of a possible DWI, and proceeded to pull him over around 9:30 p.m. on May 26, 2020. Janifer bailed out of the car and led the officer on a brief foot chase on the 900 block of Light Street but was apprehended at the intersection of Light and Hamburg streets.

Janifer then fired five gunshots, striking the officer three times, before running down Light Street and onto Poultney Street.

“The [officer’s] plate and vest are what kept [the officer] here,” said the prosecutor, who pointed to the officer sitting in the gallery.

That same night, Janifer had also shot at and carjacked another victim, who provided a victim impact statement on Friday, and broke into the home of a third victim.

The prosecutor argued that it was these actions that warranted such a significant sentence, as well as Janifer’s previous conviction for a shooting in 2012, for which he was released in 2019.

Janifer apologized to both victims in the gallery before saying that he was dealing with mental health and drug issues at the time and was high when these incidents occurred.

“I couldn’t tell you what I did or didn’t do,” he said, noting that he had no idea what was happening at the time. “I feel like my life shouldn’t be taken away from me because I don’t know what truly happened.”

The defendant concluded that he was willing to “own up to my mistakes” and accept his punishment.

While Shapiro framed the case around the officer-involved George Floyd shooting in Minneapolis that occurred the day before this incident, Judge Jones said she chose to focus on the fact that it was a holiday weekend in Federal Hill. The streets were less busy given the state of the pandemic, she added, but it could’ve been worse.

“Whether you remember it or not, it was a one-man crime spree,” Judge Jones said. “You shot at a police officer who was trying to see if you were OK.”

Judge Jones then imposed Janifer’s sentence, which was recommended by the prosecution.