A Florida woman had a traffic citation dropped after a video of her police stop went viral.
Kathleen Thomas, 36, was born with a limb difference and does not have a right hand.
Thomas was pulled over in Palm Beach County on February 11. A sheriff’s deputy accused her of holding a phone in her right hand while driving. The allegation was later challenged after body camera footage was shared online.
Thomas posted the footage on TikTok one day before she was due in court. The video showed the officer approaching her vehicle after the stop. He said she had driven past while holding a phone in her right hand.
Thomas then raised her right arm to show the officer the issue. She laughed during the exchange and appeared surprised by the accusation. She then suggested the officer should drop the matter.
“So, obviously not,” she told him while raising her arm. “So you wanna just call this a day?”
Officer continued with the citation
The deputy continued to question Thomas despite seeing her right arm. He asked whether she had been holding her phone while driving. Thomas again showed him that she did not have a right hand.
“Hand to God, you did not have your phone in your hand?” the officer asked her.
Thomas then raised her right arm again in response. The officer later appeared to rephrase the question awkwardly. He asked about her other hand while she raised her left hand.
“The other hand to God, you did not have your phone in your hand,” he asked.
Despite the exchange, Thomas was issued a traffic citation after the stop. The charge was listed as using a handheld wireless communication device while driving. It was marked as a first offence.
The citation carried a civil penalty of $116. Thomas later said the situation had left her frustrated and confused. Social media users encouraged her to fight the ticket after the footage circulated.
Case dismissed before court hearing
Thomas went to court last month and pleaded not guilty. She was then due to return for another hearing on Tuesday. However, the case was dismissed the day before the scheduled appearance.
Thomas said the officer dismissed the case over the holiday weekend. She said the reason given was lack of evidence. The dismissal came after she received the body camera footage.
The footage quickly spread across social media after Thomas uploaded it. Many viewers questioned why the citation had been issued in the first place. Others criticised the officer for continuing after seeing her limb difference.
Thomas is a fitness content creator known online as Slightlyoff.balance. Her video drew attention because of the unusual circumstances of the stop. It also prompted wider discussion about traffic enforcement and officer judgment.
Florida’s texting-while-driving law has been in effect since 2013. The law was strengthened in 2019 to make texting while driving a primary offence. That change allowed officers to stop drivers for suspected violations.
Viral video drew public reaction
The body camera video became widely discussed after Thomas shared it online. Viewers focused on the officer’s claim that she used a nonexistent right hand. Many said the footage appeared to contradict the citation.
The case also gained attention because the ticket was issued despite Thomas showing her arm. The officer still proceeded with the citation after the exchange. Thomas later said she had planned to challenge the allegation in court.
The citation was ultimately dismissed before the next hearing could take place. The dismissal ended the traffic case against Thomas. However, the video continued spreading after the legal issue was resolved.
The incident became a viral example of a disputed traffic stop. It also raised questions about how officers assess suspected phone use while driving. Thomas’ case ended without the penalty being enforced.
Featured image credit: Palm Beach Police Department
