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A Florida sheriff’s deputy is facing intense internet backlash after viral body camera video captured him doubling down and ticketing a woman for using a phone in her right hand — even after she revealed her right arm stops at the elbow.
The roadside hiccup went down in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, in February, when a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy pulled over 36-year-old Kathleen Thomas. The officer insisted she was clutching a cellphone in her right hand.
But body camera footage released this week captures the moment the deputy’s case blew up.
As the officer began lecturing her about the dangers of distracted driving, Thomas did not even bother to argue. Instead, she flashed her right arm, which ends at the forearm.
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Newly-released body camera video shows a woman with one hand being cited for allegedly holding a phone while driving. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office /TMX)
“So obviously not,” Thomas said, bursting into laughter in the now viral clip. “So you want to just call this a day or…?”
“I don’t want to call a day. You had a hand manipulator,” the deputy said. “I thought I saw your hand.”
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“Well you didn’t,” Thomas replied.
The deputy then appeared to backtrack, saying, “With the right hand, perhaps not,” before continuing the stop.
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The case drew widespread attention after the driver posted video of the traffic stop on TikTok, where she questioned the deputy’s claim that he saw a device in her “right hand.” She said she does not have a right hand. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office /TMX)
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The unnamed officer continued to insist that he saw a phone. Thomas, once again, showed her right arm. At one point during the exchange, the officer appealed to a higher power.
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“Hand to God, you did not have your phone in your hand?” he was heard asking her in the video.
“Hand to God,” Thomas replied, holding up her right hand.
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“Other hand to God,” the officer said, as Thomas lifted her left arm.
During the viral traffic stop, the woman, identified as Katie, has an uncomfortable interaction with a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy after he accused her of holding a phone in her right hand while driving. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office /TMX)
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The awkward interaction has since exploded online, generating millions of views across Instagram, TikTok and X as users criticized the stop and questioned why the deputy continued issuing the ticket after the apparent mistake.
Sheriff’s department responds
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Palm Beach Sheriff Department’s Public Information Officer/Director of the Bureau of Public Affairs Terri Barbera said that the department is “committed to enforcing Florida traffic laws.”
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Barbera said that Thomas’ citation was ultimately dismissed.
“In this particular case, the deputy initiated a traffic stop based upon his visual observation at the time of the incident. After additional review of the Florida State Statutes involved and based upon the totality of the circumstances, specifically the lack of clarity on how violations are labeled in our citation software, the decision was ultimately made to dismiss based upon the difference in wording between Florida State Statute 316.305 and 316.306,” Barbera said.
Barbera said that officers are required to make decisions “based on observations made in real time.”
“As with any enforcement action, motorists have the right to contest citations through the judicial process, where all facts and evidence can be fully evaluated.”