Kathleen Thomas is now a social media sensation! Her newfound fame comes after body cam footage showed a Florida officer’s controversial interaction with her. Thomas, who is missing one hand, was pulled over for alleged distracted driving. After she challenged the officer’s accusation, he refused to back down and issued her a traffic citation. That ticket has reportedly been dismissed. Still, the viral video has internet users goin’ IN and calling for consequences against the responding officer.
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Why Did Kathleen Thomas & Her Missing Hand Go Viral?
On Feb. 11, a Florida officer pulled over Kathleen Thomas as she was driving on the North Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach, per 12News. However, Thomas drew recent attention to the case after sharing her experience in a TikTok video. Since then, body cam footage shows exactly what happened after the pull-over. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy said, upon approach, that the city was conducting an operation on distracted driving.
“…And you drove past me, holding the phone with your right hand, manipulating the phone,” the Florida deputy says in the footage. Kathleen, looking at the deputy, raises her right arm to reveal a stub in place of her hand. Despite her missing hand reveal, the officer appeared to double down on what he allegedly saw, even after the 36-year-old laughed off the evident mistake. When she hilariously asked whether he wanted to ‘call this a day,’ the officer refused.
When she challenged his statement about her right hand, he continued to push back and even asked her, “…Hand to God, you did not have a phone in your hand?” She raised her stub and repeated, “Hand to God,” to which he replied, “The other hand to God…” and she then raised her other hand. Afterward, the deputy asked for her driver’s license and insurance and still issued a citation.
SEE THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE CBS NEW OBTAINED BELOW.
Sheriff’s Office Requests Citation Dismissal
According to CBS News, the court has since dropped the $116 citation after the sheriff’s office and/or the officer asked for it to be dismissed. She had planned to challenge the citation. So far, there’s been no word from the deputy involved. Additionally, it’s unclear whether he faced any disciplinary actions or whether he violated the Americans with Disabilities Act or any other anti-discriminatory laws. Kathleen Thomas told CBS that she handled it the legal way. She’s thankful it didn’t escalate further.
“…I was able to leave the encounter and, you know, handle it within the court system,” Thomas said. Adding that police officers aren’t trained well enough to handle a case involving someone with a missing limb.
“I would love to ask those questions about what are the protocols? What kind of exposure do you have? Do you have any questions? Like what can we do to make this interaction better for the both of us?”
She’s expected to appear on the news program this Friday to comment further on her viral interaction, per The Palm Beach Post.
A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy pulled over a woman in February for using a phone in her right hand. But when she rolled down her window, she revealed she didn’t have a right hand.
The deputy issued 36-year-old Kathleen Thomas a citation anyway. This week, however, the… pic.twitter.com/t3Ha6EyDN3
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 27, 2026
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