On May 17 1995, a man stole a 63-ton military tank from a National Guard armory in San Diego and used it to rampage through neighborhoods only later to be fatally shot by a police officer.

Now exactly two decades later, tank driver Shawn Nelson's former wife Suzy Hellman revealed to UT San Diego she blames Nelson's behavior on methamphetamine use as his life spiraled out of control.

'He just abused drugs. That’s it,' said Helleman who described her husband as a 'wonderful person' destroyed by his addictions.

Destroyed by drugs?: Shawn Nelson's (pictured) former wife Suzy Hellman said her husband stole a tank and crushed cars as he rode it through town because he was high on meth - not because he was a disgruntled vet

Police chase: Police and paramedics tend to Shawn Nelson who was shot by police after he stole a tank from a National Guard Armory and led them on a chase on Wednesday May 17, 1995 in San Diego

Luckily, No one was hurt on the day Nelson stole the tank in what Hellman described as a drug induced rage- and nothing more.

Cop Paul Paxton, who was on duty during Nelson's police chase, just so happened to be a military reservist with tank experience.

When the tank got stuck on a road divider as Nelson drove it through town, Paxton and a few other officers opened the hatch of the tank and ordered Nelson to stop.

When Nelson didn't comply with commands, Officer Rick Piner fired one fatal shot.

Paramedics tried to heal Nelson when he was pulled from the tank, but the wound was too severe. Nelson died on May 18.

‘I don’t know that anybody could have predicted that somebody — no matter what his problems — would get in a tank and go rampaging,’ Sanders, a SWAT commander during the 1984 McDonald’s massacre in San Ysidro, said.

‘Thank God that Paul Paxton was on duty that day,' Said Sanders of the heroic intervention.

Historians and psychiatrists still argue about what led up to Nelson’s nervous breakdown.

Broadcasters who shared the news after Nelson's shooting described Nelson as a 'madman, ‘a 'deranged driver, ‘and a 'maniac.'

Like Hellman, Dr. Mark Kalish, a San Diego psychiatrist attributed Nelson's behavior to the drugs.

Ran over cars: US Army Col. Robert C. Logan and two unidentified uniformed males inspect a mangled wreck of a car which was run over by an Army M-60 tank, which was stolen by Shawn Nelson 20 years ago

'Amphetamines makes people nuts and aggressive and violent,' said Dr. Mark Kalish.

'You could call 100 guys who deal in this field and 99 would tell you — this guy was on amphetamines.'

Kalish told UT San Diego that meth causes paranoid delusions along with numerous other health issues.

Nelson's tragedy has often been described as a symbol of the country's economic troubles for the middle class, especially among veterans.

Kalish thinks the meth, not the demise of the middle class, lead to Nelson's dangerous and erratic behavior.

'What the hell,' Kalish said, 'does this have to do with the demise of the middle class?

Feminist writer Susan Flaudi in her book Stiffed written in 1999 argued that Shawn Nelson felt betrayed by the Army and America and so he chose to fight back.

'If a man could not get the infrastructure to work for him,' Faludi wrote, 'he could at least tear it down. If a nation would not provide an enemy to fight, he could go to war at home. If there was no brotherhood, he would take his stand alone. Shawn Nelson’s sense of desperation, if not his actions, were shared by many men of his generation.'

No gold here: Kevin Nelson, whose brother Shawn stole an Army M-60 tank, climbs a ladder out of mine Shawn had been digging in his backyard in the delusional belief he had struck gold

Suzy Hellman could not agree less with Faludi's statements.

'I just find that ridiculous,' said Nelson’s ex-wife.

'We had it all, early on. He was an intelligent man who had a great way with customers,' she said of his employment plumber after he served in the Army.

UT Sand Diego reports that Shawn Nelson grew up in Claremont and attended Madison High School before enlisting in the Army. Nelson went to train at Fort Knox in Kentucky.

He later served in a tank battalion in West Germany. The military said that while serving in the Army Nelson had 'multifaceted' disciplinary problems. He was granted an honorable discharge in 1980.

Hellman told UT San Diego that after leaving the army Hellman came home to the 'American dream.' She said that for six years they lived a good life together.

'We had a pretty good life for six years,' said Hellman.

'We owned a home, he was a successful plumber and I was a legal secretary. We had it made.'

When Nelson's personal life began falling apart was when he started developing more problems. Nelson also began taking drugs.

Drugs or insanity?: US Army Col. Robert C. Logan inspecting trackless wheels of M-60 tank, which was stolen by Shawn Nelson in what his former wife believes may have been a meth fueled rage

'He was spiraling out of control with methamphetamine and alcohol,' Hellman said.

Nelson's mother died in 1988 and his father died in 1992 causing his behavior to become increasingly impulsive.

Hellman filed for divorce from Nelson in 1990. That very same year, Nelson got into a motorcycle accident and injured his back.

While being treated at Sharp Memorial Hospital Nelson tried to walk out of the facility. He later filed a malpractice lawsuit.

UT San Diego reports that by 1995 Nelson's van and work tools were stolen, his utilities were shut off because he didn't pay the bills and he was frequently high on meth and drunk off of alcohol

As soon as Nelson's bank began foreclosure proceedings, Nelson dug a 17-foot-deep shaft in his backyard and claimed to friends that he had struck gold when there was only the dirt below.

Finally after hitting rock bottom on May 17, Nelson found a way through an open gate at the armory at Mesa College Drive and stole an M-60.

He drove the tank, flattening utility poles, fire hydrants and cars before getting stuck on a road divider and later fatally shot by police.

Nelson's friends say they never would have seen this coming.

'Everybody liked him — he was funny and he was smart,' said childhood friend Tim Biers.