Robbery suspect shot by police pointed spray nozzle at officers

By Chris Kudialis

Monday, Oct. 17, 2016 | 2:44 p.m.

A robbery suspect fatally shot by police on the 215 Beltway last week pointed a taped spray nozzle resembling a handgun at officers before they opened fire, according to Metro Police.

Before he died, the suspect, Rex Vance Wilson, texted his wife goodbye and wrote “sorry” in his own blood on his SUV’s dashboard, police said.

Wilson, a former Marine, used the spray nozzle to commit a string of 16 robberies over a 10-day span, police said.

When officers caught up with him on Wednesday after a lengthy car chase, Wilson pointed the nozzle at them, Metro Undersheriff Kevin McMahill said. Four officers fired a total of 36 rounds into Wilson’s SUV, striking him eight times, he said.

“It certainly appears he intended to be shot by police,” McMahill said.

Wilson, 50, performed four years of active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps and two years in the Marine Reserve, McMahill said.

Wilson’s wife told police he suffered from depression and compulsive gambling disorder and that he also used cocaine, McMahill said. Wilson had made phone calls to the family’s life insurance company and a suicide hotline, he said.

The only criminal history detectives found on Wilson dated to 1988, when he was charged with burglary, simple assault and illegal fishing in Rapid City, S.D., McMahill said.

The incident Wednesday was the seventh officer-involved shooting — the third fatal one — in Metro’s jurisdiction this year. Metro had 10 officer-involved shootings at this point last year.