1995 San Diego tank rampage

Shawn Nelson
Shawn Nelson
	Nelson in his 1976 high-school yearbook
Born	August 21, 1959; California, United States
Died	May 17, 1995 (aged 35); California State Route 163 ; San Diego, California, US
Cause of death	Gunshot wound
Occupations	Soldier; plumber;
Spouse	Suzy Hellman (m. 1984;div. 1991)
Military career
Branch	United States Army
Years	1978–1980
Rank	Private
Unit	Armor Branch

1995 San Diego tank rampage
Date	May 17, 1995
Time	6:45 p.m. (UTC−07:00)
Location	National Guard Armory ; and nearby San Diego
Motive	Unknown
Perpetrator	Shawn Nelson
Outcome	Nelson killed by police
Deaths	1 (Nelson)
Non-fatal injuries	0
Property damage	US$149,201; (eq. $289,855 in 2023)

Last updated July 07, 2024

The 1995 San Diego tank rampage was the theft of an M60A3 tank by Shawn Timothy Nelson and his destruction of cars and utilities in suburban San Diego.

Nelson was a native Californian and United States Army veteran with unusual habits that drew the attention of his neighbors. By the second quarter of 1995, the 35-year-old had recently suffered financial, professional, and interpersonal setbacks, some of which stemmed from long-term substance abuse.

On May 17, he stole a 57.3-tonne (56.4-long-ton; 63.2-short-ton) tank from the local California Army National Guard armory and drove it around for six miles (9.7 km), crushing cars and infrastructure in his path—though without injuring anyone. The tank crashed and was partially disabled, and San Diego police forced it open before shooting and killing Nelson.

Nelson's motives are unknown. The incident raised questions about military security at the Guard armory and spurred changes in California's tank storage.

Background

Shawn Nelson

Born on August 21, 1959, in California,^[1] Shawn Timothy Nelson^[2] was the second of Betty and Fred Nelson's three sons.^[3] He attended James Madison High School —where he was a sophomore during the 1975–1976 academic year,^[4] grew up in Clairemont, San Diego, and later married Suzy Hellman in 1984.^[5]

In 1978, Nelson enlisted in the United States Army ^[2] and received training at Fort Knox.^[6] He was stationed in Germany with the Armor Branch ^[2] as a tank commander.^[7] Private Nelson separated in 1980 due to "'multifaceted' disciplinary problems"^[2] with an honorable discharge.^[6] Afterwards, he began a successful career in plumbing, eventually starting his own San Diego business in 1991.^[3]

A patient at Sharp Memorial Hospital in 1990, Nelson later sued the hospital over a fight involving an emergency room security guard. Nelson sued them again in 1992 for malpractice, the same year his mother died there. The lawsuits were consolidated and dismissed in 1993. Nelson's brother would later say that Shawn Nelson "thought he got a raw deal there".^[2]

In Clairemont, Nelson was a minor celebrity for his unusual behavior. He spent nighttime hours mowing his lawn and digging for gold in a 20-foot (6.1 m) backyard pit, his property was covered in machine detritus and garbage, and police had visited nine times in 1994–95 "on calls ranging from reports of domestic violence to a complaint that Nelson's van had been stolen." He was renowned, but not well known by his neighbors.^[3]

Nelson long struggled with alcohol abuse and methamphetamines, a factor in his wife leaving in 1991. Nelson's van and plumbing tools were stolen in June 1994,^[3] and his contracting business declined.^[2] By May 1995, Nelson had "a history of medical problems", including a spinal fracture caused by a motorcycle crash. Unemployed,^[8] his house on Willamette Avenue^[9] was being foreclosed upon, his utilities had been shut off,^[8] an eviction notice had been served, and he had recently broken up with a girlfriend. Nelson made "statements alluding to suicide".^[2]

Armory

The California National Guard armory at 32°48′02″N117°09′42″W / 32.800612°N 117.161560°W / 32.800612; -117.161560 ^[9] was surrounded by an eight-foot (2.4 m) chain-link fence, which was topped by three runs of barbed wire. Armory personnel usually left by 6 p.m.^[10]

The M60A3 tank is 31 feet (9.4 m) long, weighs 57.3 tonnes (56.4 long tons; 63.2 short tons) fully-loaded,^[9] and can reach speeds of 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) with a range of nearly 300 miles (480 km).^[10] It has a 7.62-millimetre (0.300 in) M73 machine gun, 12.7-millimetre (0.50 in) M2 Browning heavy machine gun, and 105-millimetre (4.1 in) M68 tank gun; these weapons systems at the San Diego armory were all unloaded.^[11]

Theft and destruction

On the evening of May 17, the armory's gates were unsecured because personnel were working late.^[6] Nelson was uncontested at 6:30 p.m. when he drove his Chevrolet van onto the property. The shirtless and disheveled man then broke the padlocks on three different tanks before starting an M60A3.^[2] Nelson crashed through the armory's gate at approximately 6:45 in the evening.^[11]

Route taken by Nelson in the tank'"`UNIQ--ref-00000015-QINU`"'

Nelson drove the tank through residential San Diego neighborhoods, where residents described the destruction as intentional: "He didn't go down the center of the street, [...] It seems he just wanted to get the utilities and cause as much as damage without hurting people."^[11] Over a distance of six miles (9.7 km),^[3] he destroyed traffic lights, a bus bench,^[2] 40 cars^[7]—crushing some down to a height of 2+1⁄2 feet (0.76 m)—and took out fire hydrants and utility poles, disrupting electricity to roughly 5100 households.^[11] Nelson inflicted no injuries during his 25-minute rampage.^[12]

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) learned of the incident at 6:46 p.m. when a detective reported that he was following Nelson. SDPD units headed to intercept the tank, and California State Route 163 (SR 163) was closed. An SDPD captain said of Nelson's tank skills: "He obviously knew what he was doing. He was working that tank pretty good."^[9]

Death

After driving onto SR 163, Nelson crashed the tank into a three-foot (0.91 m) traffic barrier ^[11] at 32°47′38″N117°09′30″W / 32.793958°N 117.158426°W / 32.793958; -117.158426 ,^[9] near Sharp Memorial Hospital.^[2] The impact dislodged one of the tank's tracks. Four SDPD officers boarded the tank and opened the hatch (which was in "combat lockdown") with bolt cutters. Nelson refused to surrender and attempted to dislodge the police by spinning the tank.^[9]

Having no armament capable of penetrating the armor, and unsure whether Nelson was armed, police shot him. Two days after the incident, the Los Angeles Times reported that Nelson was shot in the right shoulder,^[2] and The New York Times said he was alive when pulled from the tank;^[8] 18 days after the event, People published that Nelson had been shot in the left shoulder, killing him immediately.^[3] Sharp Memorial later reported that Nelson died of "gunshot wounds",^[11] and the San Diego coroner's office said that Nelson "smelled of alcohol."^[2]

Aftermath

Nelson's friends criticized the shooting, saying police should have used tear gas or crisis negotiation; SDPD captain Tom Hall defended the decision, saying "[t]he bottom line was, we had to stop this guy."^[3]

For legal culpability, the California Guard was found to be negligent and therefore responsible. The state paid out a total of US$149,201(equivalent to $289,855 in 2023): $10,000(equivalent to $19,427 in 2023) to Pacific Bell, $12,500(equivalent to $24,284 in 2023) to the city of San Diego, $40,965.69(equivalent to $79,585 in 2023) to San Diego Gas & Electric, and the rest to individual citizens (mostly for damage to vehicles).^[13]

In the following years, the uncertainty of Nelson's motives led to commentators projecting their theories onto his actions: "a saga about the middle class under siege; a fable about the emasculation of American men; a warning about what happens when ex-servicemen, lacking foreign enemies and domestic opportunities, bring the war home."^[5]

National Guard

Immediately afterwards, the National Guard planned to send two additional tanks to SR 163 to help maneuver the disabled tank onto a flatbed truck.^[9]

The Guard confirmed that vehicles entering the armory grounds were not checked (despite heightened security after the recent Oklahoma City bombing).^[2] Major Ed Gale told the media that Nelson apparently broke an exterior lock on the tank to gain access, and that it was the first tank theft at the armory.^[9] By the next day, the batteries had been removed from 28 more National Guard tanks in Southern California, and San Diego Mayor Susan Golding had written to California Governor Pete Wilson, demanding an investigation into the armory's security.^[2]

By November 1996, the Guard had improved security and awareness at its armories, and moved all its tanks to either Fort Irwin or Camp Roberts.^[13]

Related Research Articles

The M60 is an American second-generation main battle tank (MBT). It was officially standardized as the Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60 in March 1959. Although developed from the M48 Patton, the M60 tank series was never officially christened as a Patton tank. It has been called a "product-improved descendant" of the Patton tank's design. The design similarities are evident comparing the original version of the M60 and the M48A2. The United States fully committed to the MBT doctrine in 1963, when the Marine Corps retired the last (M103) heavy tank battalion. The M60 tank series became America's primary main battle tank during the Cold War, reaching a production total of 15,000 M60s. Hull production ended in 1983, but 5,400 older models were converted to the M60A3 variant ending in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Corps Air Station Miramar</span> USMC installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Miramar and Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. It is located in Miramar, San Diego, California, about 14 miles (23 km) north of downtown San Diego.

A car chase or vehicle pursuit is the vehicular overland chase of one party by another, involving at least one automobile or other wheeled motor vehicle, commonly hot pursuit of suspects by law enforcement. The rise of the automotive industry in the 20th century increased car ownership, leading to a growing number of criminals attempting to evade police in their own vehicle or a stolen car. Car chases may also involve other parties in pursuit of a criminal suspect or intended victim, or simply in an attempt to make contact with a moving person for non-conflict reasons.

State Route 163 (SR 163), or the Cabrillo Freeway, is a state highway in San Diego, California. The 11.088-mile (17.844 km) stretch of the former US 395 freeway runs from downtown San Diego just south of an interchange with Interstate 5 (I-5), extending north through historic Balboa Park and various neighborhoods of San Diego to an interchange with I-15 in the neighborhood of Miramar. The freeway is named after Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the first European to navigate the coast of present-day California.

Linda Vista is a community in San Diego, California, United States. Located east of Mission Bay, north of Mission Valley, and south-east of Tecolote Canyon, it lies on a mesa overlooking Mission Valley to the south and Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is also home to the University of San Diego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Sanders (politician)</span> American politician and law enforcement officer

Gerald Robert "Jerry" Sanders is a former American politician and law enforcement officer from San Diego, California. He served as the 34th mayor of San Diego and was Chief of Police. As of December 2012, he is the president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The San Diego Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Diego, California.

On March 5, 2001, a school shooting occurred at Santana High School in Santee, California, United States. The gunman, 15-year-old Charles Andrew Williams, opened fire with an eight-shot .22-caliber revolver, killing two students and wounding 13 others. Williams was then apprehended by responding police officers and convicted. He is currently serving 50 years to life in prison.

Clairemont is a community within the city of San Diego, California, United States. It has a population of about 81,600 residents and an area of roughly 13.3 square miles (34 km²). Clairemont Mesa is bordered by Interstate 805 on the east, Interstate 5 to the west, State Route 52 to the north, and the community of Linda Vista to the south. The community of Clairemont Mesa can be subdivided into the neighborhoods of North Clairemont, Clairemont Mesa East, Clairemont Mesa West, Bay Park, and Bay Ho.

Kearny Mesa is a community in the central part of San Diego, California. It is bounded by State Route 52 to the north, Interstate 805 to the west, Aero Drive to the south, and Interstate 15 to the east. Adjacent communities include Serra Mesa, Clairemont and Tierrasanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleophus Prince Jr.</span> American serial killer

Cleophus Prince Jr. is an American serial killer who was convicted and sentenced to death in 1993 for the rape and murder of six women in San Diego County, California. The killings occurred between January and September 1990 and became known as the Clairemont serial killings as most of the murders took place there. Before these crimes and while serving in the United States Navy, Prince was court-martialed in 1989 due to larceny. Upon being convicted, he was recommended to be discharged after serving his sentence. Multiple books have been written on Prince and his crimes.

Birdseye is an unincorporated community in southeastern Utah County, Utah, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego Police Department</span> Law enforcement agency serving San Diego, California

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for the city of San Diego, California. The department was officially established on May 16, 1889.

James Madison High School is a public high school in San Diego, California. It is part of the San Diego Unified School District. Madison's 50-acre (200,000 m²) campus opened in 1962. Serving almost 1,100 students in grades 9–12, it is located in the Clairemont Mesa East neighborhood, north of Balboa Ave, south of Clairemont Mesa Blvd, and west of Interstate 805.

A National Guard Armory, National Guard Armory Building, or National Guard Readiness Center is any one of numerous buildings of the U.S. National Guard where a unit trains, meets, and parades. A readiness center supports the training, administration, and logistics of National Guard units by providing assembly space, classrooms, weapons and protective personal equipment storage, and training space. Readiness centers can also be utilized as communal assembly areas, utilized by local organizations and governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Right to Go Insane</span> 2010 single by Megadeth

"The Right to Go Insane" is a song by American heavy metal band Megadeth, written by Dave Mustaine. It is the final track and second single from their twelfth studio album Endgame. The song was commercially released as a single on April 9, 2010, and a music video was released directed by Bill Fishman, who produced the music video of the band's previous single, "Head Crusher". The music video was based on the real-life events surrounding Shawn Nelson's descent into madness and the famous tank rampage he engaged in which led to his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">149th Armored Regiment</span> Armored unit of the United States Army

The 149th Armored Regiment was an armored regiment that was part of the California Army National Guard. Its lineage dates back to a cavalry unit organized in 1895 in Salinas. As Troop C, the unit's first major action occurred when it deployed to help in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. In 1916, still as Troop C, the unit served along the Mexico–United States border near Nogales, Arizona to deter further border incursions, due to events surrounding the Pancho Villa Expedition. The following year, Troop C was activated then reorganized and redesignated as Company B, 145th Machine Gun Battalion upon the United States' entry into World War I; as part of the 40th Division, the battalion deployed to France in 1918, and returned to the United States in 1919.

The 1959 San Diego F3H crash was the crash of a United States Navy McDonnell F3H-2N Demon in San Diego, California, on 4 December 1959. The pilot, Ensign Albert Joseph Hickman from VF-121, chose not to eject from the stricken aircraft, piloting it away from populated areas of Clairemont, including an elementary school, saving "as many as 700 people" on the ground, according to one estimate. The aircraft crashed into a canyon, with the pilot being the sole fatality. Hickman has been memorialized in the naming of an elementary school and a sports complex in San Diego. Several decades later, a similar crash occurred in University City, a neighborhood north of Clairemont.

This is a list of protests that took place in San Diego County, California, following the murder of George Floyd that took place on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. These events were created to fight for justice for George Floyd and other Black community members who suffer from police brutality. These demonstrations resulted in a number of policy changes, namely the ban of the cartoid neck restraints use in San Diego County and a city-wide independent review board that would review police practices.

Tank rampage may refer to:

References

↑ California Death Index, 1940–1997, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rotella, Sebastian; Kraul, Chris (May 19, 1995). "Tank's Driver Beset by Drug, Money Problems" . Los Angeles Times . San Diego. ISSN 2165-1736. OCLC 3638237. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gray, Kevin; Reno, Jamie (June 5, 1995). "The Road to Ruin". People . Vol. 43, no. 22. San Diego. ISSN 0093-7673. OCLC 794712888. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
↑ Clark, Martha; Garner, Diana, eds. (1976). "Sophomores". Prospectus 1976. Vol. XIII. James Madison High School. pp. 290–305.
1 2 Rowe, Peter (May 16, 2015). "Tank rampage: A symbolic story turns 20" . The San Diego Union-Tribune . ISSN 1063-102X. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
1 2 3 Noll, Jessica (February 11, 2020). "'The American Tank Rampage': Podcast chronicles 23 minutes of terror". KFMB-TV. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
1 2 "Man steals tank, ransacks neighborhood". San Diego: United Press International. May 18, 1995. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
1 2 3 "Man Killed After Stealing Tank for Rampage". The New York Times . San Diego. Associated Press. May 19, 1995. p. A14. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 LaVelle, Philip J.; Dibsie, Patricia (May 18, 1995). "Tank Rampage Here: Stolen 57-ton vehicle leaves ruin in its tracks". The San Diego Union-Tribune . pp. A-1 & A-17. ISSN 1063-102X. Clairemont plumber killed by police gunfire; Route 163 traffic snarled
1 2 "Theft of Tank Raises Questions About the Security of Armories". The New York Times . San Diego. Associated Press. May 21, 1995. p. 23. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Fordahl, Matthew (May 18, 1995). "Police Kill Man Who Hijacked Tank". San Diego: Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
↑ Reeves, Phil (May 19, 1995). "San Diego tank 'joyrider' shot dead by police" . The Independent . Los Angeles. ISSN 1741-9743. OCLC 185201487. Archived from the original on March 28, 2009. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
1 2 Hall, Matthew T. (May 17, 2011). "Stolen tank plowed through streets in 1995" . The San Diego Union-Tribune . ISSN 1063-102X. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2023.