Florida Cop Drops Charges Against One-Handed Woman Accused of Holding Phone

Kathleen Thomas, 36, was stopped by a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy in February on suspicion of distracted driving, according to New York Post. The traffic stop has since gained widespread attention after body camera footage revealed the awkward exchange.

The deputy approached Thomas’ vehicle on North Dixie Highway and informed her that he had observed her holding a phone with her right hand and manipulating the device while driving. Police body camera footage captured by CBS News shows what happened next.

Thomas responded by simply extending her right arm, revealing a stump where a hand would normally be. She laughed off the accusation, suggesting they call it a day.

The deputy refused to back down, insisting that he had seen her with a hand raised. Thomas repeatedly explained that he could not have witnessed her using her right hand, as she does not have one.

In an awkward moment caught on camera, the officer asked Thomas to put a hand to God that she had not been using her phone while driving. When she raised her right arm, he told her to use the other hand instead.

Despite the obvious discrepancy between his initial observation and physical reality, the deputy proceeded to check Thomas’ license and registration before issuing her a citation for violating Florida’s wireless communications while driving law.

The first-time offense carried a penalty of 116 dollars, according to CBS 12.

Thomas naturally contested the citation in court. A hearing that had been scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled after the officer who conducted the traffic stop requested dismissal of the charge due to lack of evidence, as Thomas announced on social media platform TikTok.

She responded to the dismissal with characteristic humor, noting that the lack of evidence was already obvious from the start.

With information from New York Post