Florida Woman Cited for Phone Use Despite Missing Right Hand

A Florida woman was issued a $116 traffic citation after a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy accused her of holding a phone in her right hand while driving [2, 4]. The driver, an adaptive-athlete influencer known as Katie, does not have a right hand and demonstrated this to the officer during the February traffic stop [1, 3].

Key takeaways

• The traffic stop occurred on February 11 on the North Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach, Florida [1, 4].
• Despite the driver showing the deputy she lacked a right hand, the officer continued to question her and issued a citation [1, 3].
• The $116 citation was eventually dismissed at the request of the deputy involved [2, 4].
• The incident gained widespread attention after the driver posted the body camera footage on TikTok and Instagram [2, 3].

An Uncomfortable Traffic Encounter

The encounter began when the deputy pulled the driver over, claiming he saw her "manipulating" a phone with her right hand [3, 4]. When the driver laughed and raised her right arm to show she had no hand, she asked the deputy if they could simply "call this a day" [1, 4]. The deputy declined, stating he did not want to end the encounter and insisted he had seen her holding a phone [3, 4].

During the exchange, the deputy asked the driver to swear "hand to God" that she was not holding a phone [2, 3]. The driver complied by raising her right arm, at which point the deputy requested she raise "the other hand" [4]. Following the interaction, the driver was issued a citation for the alleged offense [1, 4].

Legal Resolution and Public Response

After the driver posted the body camera footage online, the video garnered millions of views and likes across social media platforms [2, 3]. While the driver initially prepared to contest the citation in court, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office ultimately requested that the court dismiss the charge [1, 3].

Why it matters

The incident has sparked public discussion regarding police interactions with individuals who have physical disabilities. The driver, identified in some reports as Kathleen Thomas, noted that she believes law enforcement may not be "exposed enough" to situations involving people with missing limbs [1]. Following the viral nature of the video, the driver is scheduled to appear on "CBS Mornings" this Friday to discuss the encounter.