London Police Officer Fired for Sharing Video of Vulnerable Woman with Cousin

A police officer from the City of London has been dismissed following an incident in which he recorded footage of a vulnerable woman brandishing a knife and subsequently shared it with a relative. Former Police Constable Isaac Keown was present at a domestic disturbance in August 2023, during which the woman appeared to be in distress and intended to self-harm with the weapon. PC Keown successfully disarmed her, and the entire event was captured on his body-worn camera.

It was later revealed that PC Keown had transferred part of this footage to his personal phone and shared it with his cousin, PC Treadwell, who serves in Gloucestershire. Detective Superintendent Thomas Hill, head of the Professional Standards Department at the City of London Police, expressed that PC Keown had “compromised the integrity of policing and the trust the public places in us.” Consequently, he has been barred from any future employment within the police force.

Details of the Incident and Misconduct Hearing

A report from a panel hearing published last month detailed the police’s stance that PC Keown had breached his confidentiality obligations in a bid to “show off” to his cousin. Initially, he contested this claim, asserting that he recorded the incident on his personal device due to the busy state of the police station. He claimed that he intended to use the footage to enlighten his cousin about the challenges faced by officers in the field.

A psychiatry report, dated June 4 of this year, noted that PC Keown displayed signs consistent with trauma and stress related to the incident, exhibiting features indicative of unresolved trauma. However, it concluded that there was no evidence of a severe mental disorder affecting his comprehension or reality testing at the time of the incident.

During a misconduct interview in November 2025, PC Keown stated that this was the first occasion he had encountered a member of the public wielding a weapon. He explained that he recorded the footage to avoid repeatedly accessing his body-worn camera. He also highlighted his close relationship with PC Treadwell and mentioned that she was at an earlier stage in her career than he was. Under cross-examination, he acknowledged that he was fully aware of the confidentiality policies of the force but admitted to inconsistencies in his rationale for recording the footage.

Consequences of Breaching Professional Standards

The panel that reviewed his case took into account both PC Keown’s character and positive testimonials made on his behalf. However, they expressed concerns over his inability to justify certain decisions he made during the incident. Ultimately, they concluded that his actions were “deliberate and informed,” and that he should have recognised that his behaviour fell below the expected standards of conduct. Consequently, he was dismissed without notice and added to the police barred list.

Detective Superintendent Hill remarked, “The misconduct panel has found that PC Isaac Keown breached our standards of professional behaviour, confidentiality, and engaged in discreditable conduct. These actions amounted to gross misconduct. Recording body-worn video onto a personal device and sharing that evidence without a policing purpose is entirely unacceptable. He compromised the integrity of policing and the trust the public places in us. PC Keown will be dismissed immediately and placed on the police barred list, which will prevent him from working in policing again.” He further emphasised the importance of trust and confidence in policing, stating that the force will take all necessary actions to uphold professional standards and expects every officer and staff member to serve with integrity.