Viral bodycam captures Florida deputy’s traffic stop unravel as he accuses one-handed driver of holding phone A Florida sheriff’s deputy is facing backlash after body camera footage showed him ticketing a woman for using a phone in her right hand, despite her missing her right arm. The deputy insisted he saw her hand on the phone, even after she revealed her disability and laughed at the accusation. The citation was ultimately dismissed by the sheriff’s department due to ambiguity in citation software wording and the deputy’s real-time observations.

• A Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy pulled over Kathleen Thomas for allegedly using a phone while driving.
• The deputy accused Thomas of holding the phone in her right hand, but she revealed her right arm ends at the forearm.
• Body camera footage captured the deputy continuing to issue the ticket and questioning Thomas even after she showed her physical limitation.
• The viral video sparked online criticism of the deputy’s actions.
• The Palm Beach Sheriff Department stated the citation was dismissed due to differences in Florida statutes and wording in their citation software.
• The department emphasized that officers make decisions based on real-time observations and motorists have the right to contest citations.