Thomas Waterson, born Seth Thomas Waterson in 1895 (died in 1947) was an American police officer and member of the Memphis Police Department in Memphis, Tennessee. Along with Detective Sergeant William Raney of the Memphis police, Waterson was a member of the team who (along with FBI Agents) captured notorious "Public Enemy Number One", George "Machine Gun" Kelly. Kelly was a killer so skilled with a tommygun that he could allegedly stitch his name in .45-caliber slugs. The notable raid occurred at Kelly's Memphis hideout at residence of friend J.C. Tichenor (located at No. 1408 Raynor Street) in the wee morning hours of September 26, 1933.

The police crept up to the front door, slowly opened it, and stepped inside. Coming out of the bathroom was the notorious George Kelly Barnes. Caught without a weapon, George Kelly supposedly cried, "Don’t shoot, G-Men! Don’t shoot, G-Men!" as he surrendered to FBI Agents and Memphis police.

Tommy Waterson retired from the Memphis Police Department and moved to California with his family. He is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in San Diego, California alongside his wife, Ann Waterson. He had one son Steven Waterson, who is still living and resides in San Diego.

References

1. Memphis Flyer "Machine Gun Kelly Arrested in Memphis 74 Years Ago This Week" SEPTEMBER 25, 2007
2. Memphis Police.com
3. Memphis Flyer "Machine Gun Kelly Arrested in Memphis 74 Years Ago This Week" SEPTEMBER 25, 2007