Armed officer sues Police Scotland over suspension after TikTok Tallia Storm incident
A firearms officer is taking legal action against Police Scotland alleging he was unfairly suspended after footage of an "incident" was shared on TikTok.
Steven Jones, 35, appeared before an employment tribunal in Edinburgh on Monday, June 9, where he is suing the force for sex discrimination.
Mr Jones claims his actions were unfairly labelled 'misogynistic' and that he was penalised due to Police Scotland management's concerns about the armed response unit being seen as having a 'boys' club mentality'.
The tribunal heard that the incident occurred on March 1, 2024, when a video posted by Scottish singer Tallia Storm showed Mr Jones and his colleague stepping out of their marked police vehicle on Edinburgh's Cowgate to take a photo with her.
In the footage, Mr Jones can be seen taking the picture while his partner poses with Storm, reports EdinburghLive.
Mr Jones told the tribunal he was later 'chastised' by senior officers who described his conduct as 'misogynistic' and criticised him for stopping in a busy pedestrian and traffic area. He said the force reacted negatively due to public backlash over the video.
He believes he was treated unfairly because of 'past instances of misogyny' involving other officers in the firearms unit, and that his own actions were wrongly framed in that context.
He told the tribunal: "Because of the word 'misogyny,' it made me feel it was because I as a male interacting with a female that it was viewed through that lens. If a member of the other sex had that interaction, it wouldn't have happened."
His solicitor, Mr Merck, referenced a previous high-profile case involving female firearms officer Rhona Malone, who received nearly £1 million in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled she had been victimised by the force on the basis of her sex. Mr Jones believes that case influenced how his own behaviour was judged.
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He said: "It really surprised me. I was extremely upset and shocked because I knew I had to disclose to my partner what I had been accused of and explain to my family."
At the time of the incident, Mr Jones and his colleague were on "parliament duty," patrolling areas around the Scottish Parliament including the Cowgate and Grassmarket. While driving through Cowgate, they encountered a large crowd and slowed the vehicle. Mr Jones said he then recognised Tallia Storm in the crowd.
"I knew who she was due to the publicity and her being the Capital DJ host at the time. She was on the side of trams and buses," he said.
He and his partner left the vehicle — which held secured firearms — for what he estimated to be about a minute, possibly less.
Mr Jones claimed the singer was "ecstatic" about the photo opportunity and added: "There was no rude behaviour or catcalling. I present myself courteously and was calm in the situation. We engaged in conversation to ascertain that a Q&A was being held. It looked like she was making her way over. We very quickly introduced ourselves, it was a polite interaction."
He said that throughout the encounter, they ensured their police vehicle remained secure. Despite this, Mr Jones was later suspended — a sanction he believes was disproportionate.
He told the tribunal: "It is our job to engage with people. We don't police with fear, we police by good interactions with the public. The last thing I'd ever want is the public to fear the police and to fear me. I always speak to people as a human being. I meet them where they are."
Mr Jones joined Police Scotland in March 2017 and completed his authorised firearms officer training in June 2023. He told the tribunal he had ambitions of becoming a national firearms instructor and had been encouraged to apply for a role in counterterrorism.
But since the incident, he says he has been demoted to a desk-based role, handling "low-level daily calls" — a stark contrast to his previous work dealing with "very high risk incidents" and high-stakes decision making within the firearms unit.
The five-day tribunal, overseen by Employment Judge Amanda Jones, continues.
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