The Memphis Safe Task Force has reported another notch in its belt with the apprehension of Tony Watson, 40, whose rap sheet included outstanding warrants for Burglary and Theft. The arrest, which came about due to keen investigative work by the Task Force in tandem with the Memphis Police Department, occurred in the area of Henrietta Road where Watson was nabbed alongside an arsenal of firearms and illegal drugs found in plain sight at a residence.
Watson now stares down the barrel of additional charges such as Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and the Possession of Stolen Property. These new infractions only add to a growing list of contraventions by individuals the Task Force was created to combat. One of these firearms turned out to be stolen, adding another layer of illegality to the circumstances surrounding Watson's arrest. All firearms and narcotics were seized and are set to serve as evidence.
Since the Task Force swung into action, over 400 illegal firearms and copious amounts of narcotics have been swept from the streets. With each confiscation, the Memphis Safe Task Force reaffirms its dedication to its foundational purpose: slashing violent crime rates and cleansing the local neighborhoods of perilous weapons.
As the guns and drugs were hauled away, Director of the United States Marshals Service and Chairman of the Memphis Safe Task Force, Gadyaces S. Serralta, marked the significance of the seizure. "Each illegally possessed weapon seized represents one less tool of violence in the hands of offenders," Serralta articulated in a statement obtained by U.S. Marshals Service. “These types of arrests and seizures directly reduce the likelihood of future victims and reinforce the Memphis Safe Task Force’s commitment proactive enforcement, enhanced interagency collaboration, and community protection.”
