A Florida traffic stop has gone viral after an officer accused a driver of using her phone in her right hand — but the woman doesn’t have one.
Kathleen Thomas, 36, was driving on North Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach on February 11 when a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy pulled her over.
The deputy told her he saw her “holding the phone with your right hand, manipulating that phone.”
Thomas immediately laughed and raised her right arm — a residual limb — to show what he was referring to, before dissolving into louder laughter.
In the bodycam footage, she replies: “Obviously not,” then adds while still laughing, “So you want to just call this a day or?”
Even after seeing her arm, the deputy didn’t back down.
“I don’t want to ‘call it a day,’” he said. “You had a hand up.”
He continued: “The other hand to god.” He then asked for her license and registration
According to CBS 12, the ticket issued to Thomas was recorded as: ‘Wireless Comm. Device/Handheld While Driving – First Offense’. It carries a civil fine of $116.
Florida’s Wireless Communications While Driving Law makes texting while driving a primary offense, meaning officers can stop a driver based solely on that allegation.
The statute prohibits manually typing or entering multiple letters, numbers, symbols, or other characters on a wireless device while operating a vehicle — covering texting, email, and instant messaging.
At the same time, the law allows certain common uses, including navigation/GPS, receiving safety alerts, reporting emergencies, and voice communication that doesn’t involve manual typing.
Put simply, holding a phone alone isn’t automatically unlawful statewide in every circumstance; the law centers on manual data entry and sending or receiving data while driving, with additional restrictions applying in certain areas.
After the clip spread widely online, Thomas chose to fight the citation in court.
Her first appearance was conducted virtually and was limited to entering a plea. She pleaded not guilty and requested a trial rather than accepting a deal.
A hearing was set for Wednesday, May 27, but the charge was dismissed after the deputy requested it, citing a “lack of evidence”.
Palm Beach County Sheriff office have been approached for comment.