In May 1995, Shawn Timothy Nelson, a 35-year-old unemployed plumber and Army veteran, stole a 57-ton M60A3 Patton tank from a National Guard armory in San Diego, California. On May 17, struggling with financial troubles, a recent divorce, and substance abuse, Nelson broke into the armory, started the tank, and drove it through the city streets. For about 23 minutes, he rampaged through residential areas, crushing cars, street signs, and fire hydrants, and damaging a pedestrian bridge.
The tank’s sheer weight left a trail of destruction, though no one was killed. San Diego police pursued him, unable to stop the armored vehicle with standard weapons. Eventually, Nelson tried to cross a concrete median on State Route 163, and the tank got stuck. Police climbed onto the tank, opened the hatch, and ordered Nelson to surrender. When he refused and continued trying to free the vehicle, an officer shot him once, killing him—the only casualty of the incident.This remains the last known instance of a civilian hijacking a military tank in the United States.
The event, captured on live television, shocked the nation and raised questions about armory security. Posts found on X mention the incident as a bizarre moment in history, often highlighting its uniqueness and Nelson’s troubled background. The tank was later repaired and returned to service, but the spectacle of a lone man commandeering a war machine through a major city remains a singular, surreal chapter in American crime.
