Officer pulls over woman with no right hand alleging cell phone use with right hand! Body cam video

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[00:00:05]Hello, ma'am.

[00:00:06]>> Hi.

[00:00:06]>> Hey. Good morning. I'm Gala with the Pumpus County Sheriff's Office. This is why you're being pulled over the city of Lagor today. We're doing an operation for distracted driving. And you drove past me holding the phone with your right hand, manipulating that phone. I mean, I saw you.

[00:00:20]>> So, you want to just call this a day or >> I don't want to call a day. You had a hand up manipulating.

[00:00:25]>> I just said my right hand.

[00:00:26]>> Well, I thought I told you right hand.

[00:00:27]You had a hand out. the right hand. I saw you manipulate >> with the right hand perhaps. Not right.

[00:00:33]But you didn't see me with my right hand. So you saw you saying that you saw me with my hand.

[00:00:37]>> I know what I just said. I know what I just said. I'm asking you now. Did you Did you or not have your phone on on your hand?

[00:00:41]>> I did not.

[00:00:42]>> You did not have your funny hand.

[00:00:43]>> I did not.

[00:00:44]>> Hands to God. You not have funny hand.

[00:00:45]>> Hand to God.

[00:00:46]>> The other hand to God. You don't have funny hand.

[00:00:48]>> Hand to God.

[00:00:49]>> Cool. You have your driver's license insurance with you.

[00:00:54]>> Roland Munford with Munford.law. We are in Paris, France doing videos this week and I appreciate your patience with us as we use a mobile setup. You have heard about this story all over social media today and there was no way I could not do a video about this. And just when you thought you had heard the crazy story last week, and it couldn't get any crazier, where my client was a amputee below the knee was left on the highway in Georgia by a police officer at 2:30 in the morning because the officer said he didn't have insurance. Well, in fact, they did have insurance. And that was one story about an ampute. And then today you see this crazy story all over social media about a lady who was given a ticket by a police officer who accused her of using a cell phone while driving using a right hand. The problem is she doesn't have a right hand. It's amputated. So let's talk about this. A traffic stop in Palm Beach County has exploded into a much larger controversy involving police credibility, distracted driving enforcement, disability issues, and the growing surveillance style tactics law enforcement agencies now use to catch drivers on their phones. The case centers on Kathleen Thomas, who was issued a citation in February after a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy claimed he observed her illegally using a cell phone while driving. At first glance, it sounded like a routine distracted driving stop. But the situation quickly unraveled after details from the encounter and body camera footage began circulating publicly. According to the deputy, Thomas was allegedly holding a cell phone in her right hand while operating her vehicle. But there was one enormous problem with that claim. Kathleen Thomas did not have her right hand because it was amputated. As I stated during the traffic stop, Thomas repeatedly questioned the deputy about exactly what he claimed to have seen. She specifically pressed him to confirm verbally that he was saying she held the phone in her right hand. Many observers believe she understood the importance of getting the officer to commit to that statement on body camera footage because once those words were recorded, the factual contradiction became impossible to ignore. That single detail may have completely destroyed the credibility of the citation. If an officer claims to have seen a phone in a hand that literally does not exist, critics argue it raises serious questions about whether the officer actually observed any illegal conduct at all. Supporters of Thomas say the video appears to capture either an extraordinary mistake or a fabricated observation designed to justify the stop. Eventually, the ticket against Thomas was dismissed. While traffic citations are dismissed every day for various procedural reasons, this case drew national attention because the dismissal appeared directly connected to the credibility issues surrounding the deputy statements. Here is a news story on the issue and immediately after you will see the body camera video. On the other side, we will do a legal breakdown on the matter talking about legal claims, how should the sheriff handle the public relations and issues surrounding distracted driving and the tactics that police officer use for enforcement. We'll see you on the other side.

[00:04:19]Police body camera footage of a Florida woman's traffic stop went viral after she was accused of holding a phone in her right hand while driving. But the issue is she doesn't have a right hand.

[00:04:31]Take a look at this exchange.

[00:04:33]>> We're doing an operation for distracted driving and you drove past me holding the phone with your right hand manipulating that phone. I mean, I saw you with the phone in your hand.

[00:04:44]Now, court records show the citation has since been dismissed at the request of the deputy who issued it. Let's go live now to CBS News correspondent Christian Pvidas, who spoke exclusively with the driver. Christian, what did she tell you?

[00:04:58]>> Well, look, uh, she said that at first she took it in stride. She thought that after the deputy pulled her over uh upon seeing that she did not in fact have a right hand. He said to her uh that he had seen her using a device with her right hand, she does not have one. So she thought after he would see that that perhaps uh the whole conversation would end there. But the deputy still wrote the ticket. Now, the incident happened back in February, but the body camera footage was just released this week, and uh it's gone viral. She posted it on her Instagram account, and she hopes that this can turn into a lesson about how to deal with people with limb difference.

[00:05:39]Take a listen to a little bit of what she told me.

[00:05:42]>> I would love people to take away is that limb difference is normal. Somebody who looks different than you is normal. All of that is normal. normal is whoever you're most comfortable being.

[00:05:55]>> So, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office told me in a statement that uh the deputy initiated the traffic stop based on visual observation at the time of the incident and based on the totality of circumstances, but that they remain committed to professionalism, fairness, and uh lawful and the lawful enforcement of Florida statutes. Now, eventually this officer asked for the ticket to be dismissed. There was a court hearing that was supposed to take place this week, but prior to that court hearing, the police officer said that he wanted that ticket dismissed. Now, we're going to hear a lot more uh from Katie Thomas on that from that interview that we had. She had some really interesting takes about this entire ordeal, and we'll hear that uh tomorrow on CBS Mornings.

[00:06:40]>> Oh, look forward to hearing that.

[00:06:41]Kristen Vivvitz, thank you so much.

[00:06:49]This traffic ticket was just dismissed after a Florida sheriff's deputy asked the court to dismiss the charge just before a scheduled court hearing. You may have seen the video of 36-year-old Kathleen Thomas getting pulled over by a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy allegedly for using her phone with her right hand while driving. But there was one problem. Watch what happened next.

[00:07:12]in the cup and it took everything I had to not throw up in his back seat.

[00:07:17]>> It wouldn't bother me. Could you smell it? I mean, if I could smell it and it was like all up in my like nostril, I think then I'd be upset. But >> you're very tolerant person.

[00:07:29]>> If I couldn't smell it, I don't care what you're doing.

[00:07:31]>> Okay. It doesn't bother you. Yeah. A lot of times you >> Maybe it's different because I'm a twirl.

[00:07:44]Hello ma'am.

[00:07:45]>> Hi.

[00:07:45]>> Hey, good morning. I'm depal with the Pis County Sheriff's Office. This is why you're being pulled over in the city of Legor today. We're doing an operation for distracted driving and you drove past me holding the phone with your right hand manipulating that phone. I mean, I saw you not.

[00:07:59]>> So, you want to just call this a day or >> I don't want to call a day. You had a hand up manipulating.

[00:08:04]>> You just said my right hand.

[00:08:05]>> Well, I thought I saw you with your right hand. You had a hand up.

[00:08:08]The right hand. I saw you manipulate.

[00:08:10]>> I didn't >> with the right hand. Perhaps not. Right.

[00:08:12]But I saw >> you didn't see me with my right hand. So I just said you saying that you saw me with your hand.

[00:08:16]>> I know what I just said. I know what I just said. I'm asking you now. Did you Did you or not have your phone on on your hand?

[00:08:20]>> I did not.

[00:08:21]>> You did not have your phone hand.

[00:08:22]>> I did not.

[00:08:23]>> Hand to God. You not have funny hand.

[00:08:24]>> Hand to God.

[00:08:25]>> The other hand to God. You don't have phone on your hand.

[00:08:27]>> Hand to God.

[00:08:28]>> Cool. You have your driver's license registration insurance with you.

[00:09:08]I think this is the current one. They're all in the same pile, so it's not. I can find you.

[00:09:22]>> You need insurance, too? Just so you get insurance.

[00:09:35]>> Who's Who's uh Mr. Thomas?

[00:09:49]Here's a cover page for it. I'm trying to find you the college portion.

[00:10:19]North Ku is good at.

[00:10:20]>> Yes.

[00:10:21]>> All right. Hands off.

[00:10:29]>> People that have been in an Uber and feel like their driver was intoxicated.

[00:10:34]You can't tell me this isn't already a problem.

[00:10:36]>> Of course, it's a problem.

[00:10:38]>> We have humans involved.

[00:10:39]>> I guarantee you there's litigation right now.

[00:10:42]>> Well, there you go. After you hear a story like that, eating potato chips and talking to somebody about football is not such a bad thing after all.

[00:10:48]>> Guess what? I got to take a lift home today.

[00:10:52]>> Good luck after this.

[00:10:54]>> Here's what's coming up on the Dirt of the Dead. Dirt of the day.

[00:10:59]>> Well, this is a major shakeup. I was all excited about The Real Housewives of New York. They flipped networks. They were leaving Bravo. Got to go to E. And now there's drama with the cast over one of them speaking out of turn. What did she say that got her fired? I'll tell you coming up in your dirt. Entertainment updates Friday after every hour from the KJ 879 WRF. From the WRF Anatar and Lavine Accident Attorneys Traffic Center.

[00:11:35]>> Anar Lavine accident attorneys. Call 1800747 free. That's 18007473733.

[00:11:43]>> This traffic report is a service of Shoeacher Auto Group. Come join the family. Visit our website today at shoeocker.com.

[00:11:49]Up the three accidents slowing you down here in Palm Beach County beginning northbound on the turnpike just north of Forest Hill Boulevard. You'll find the other two on Military Trail at Robuck Road and out in the acorage on Orange Boulevard at Coconut Boulevard. Traffic is a service of Massage Envy in the Traffic Center. I'm Parker Star.

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[00:12:58]>> All right, man. So, you're going to receive a citation for wireless communication device handheld while driving. You can't we got to put the phone down as we operate a motor vehicle.

[00:13:05]>> Oh, and you put on there that you saw me with my right hand holding it.

[00:13:08]>> I did not put that. No. If you want to take it to court, >> but that's what you said when you pulled me over. Yes. You saw me holding my device with my right hand.

[00:13:14]>> I'm not disagreeing with you. Yes.

[00:13:15]That's what I said. Yes. Yes. So, if you want to take it to court >> and that's what you saw.

[00:13:18]>> That's what I said. I said >> that's what you said you saw. Yes. Okay.

[00:13:21]>> Okay. If you want to take it to court, option five on the back of the ticket.

[00:13:23]That's how you take that ticket to court. You have any questions for me?

[00:13:26]>> No. Thank you.

[00:13:26]>> Have a good day.

[00:13:34]The actual citation was issued back in February in Lakew Worth, Florida, and there was supposed to be a court hearing today, but the police officer requested for the court to dismiss the ticket on Monday.

[00:13:46]>> Staples online for details.

[00:13:52]>> My name is Maria. At the same time, it is important to understand that distracted driving is absolutely a legitimate public safety concern. Every year, thousands of people are injured or killed in crashes involving distracted drivers, and cell phone use remains one of the biggest causes. According to federal highway safety data, distracted driving contributes to thousands of fatalities annually in the United States alone. Safety experts have repeatedly compared texting while driving to drunk driving because of how severely it reduces driver attention and reaction time. Research has shown that even taking your eyes off the road for a few seconds while traveling at highway speeds can mean driving the length of a football field essentially blind.

[00:14:37]Drivers looking down at phones often failed to notice stop traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, red lights, or sudden lane changes. Entire families have been killed in crashes caused by drivers who were texting, watching videos, scrolling social media, or using apps behind the wheel. That reality is exactly why police departments nationwide have dramatically increased cell phone enforcement efforts. Law enforcement agencies argue they are trying to prevent catastrophic crashes before they happen rather than simply reacting afterward. Most members of the public agree distracted driving is dangerous and that enforcement is necessary to protect innocent people on the roads. But the Kathleen Thomas case has reignited another uncomfortable debate that many police departments strongly dislike discussing openly. the reality that police officers sometimes make false statements or mistaken observations. Courts and defense attorneys have dealt with this issue for decades. Traffic stops often involve officer observations that are difficult to independently verify, including claims about cell phone use, smelling narcotics, suspicious movements, lane drifting, or other alleged violations.

[00:15:51]Many officers perform their jobs professionally and honestly every single day. But cases like this become powerful ammunition for critics who argue that some officers rely on exaggerations, assumptions, or outright falsehoods to justify traffic stops and citations.

[00:16:09]What makes the Kathleen Thomas case so unusual is that the disputed observation appears objectively verifiable. Most traffic stop disputes become he said, she said situations where the public never truly knows what happened. But here, the officer described seeing a phone in a hand that did not exist. That transforms the controversy from a credibility debate into something potentially much more serious. The case also highlights how difficult distracted driving enforcement can actually be in practice. Officers are trained to look for drivers glancing downward repeatedly, holding objects near the steering wheel, drifting between lanes, reacting slowly at intersections, or appearing distracted while driving. But critics argue these observations are often unreliable, especially when both vehicles are traveling at high speeds.

[00:17:01]An officer driving alongside traffic may only glimpse another driver for a second or two. Drivers may be adjusting navigation systems, scratching their face, holding food, touching dashboard controls, or handling completely legal mounted devices. Yet officers must make split-second judgments for moving patrol cars in constantly changing traffic conditions. To overcome those limitations, police departments have increasingly turned to specialized distracted driving enforcement tactics that many people do not even realize exist. Some agencies now deploy surveillance style operations using elevated vehicles, unmarked vans, buses, SUVs, motorcycles, and even large commercial trucks. One increasingly common tactic involves what are called HGV operations. HGV stands for heavy goods vehicle. Essentially, large commercial trucks with elevated driver positions. In these operations, officers ride inside the cab of a large truck or elevated vehicle because the higher seating position gives them a direct downward view into passenger cars.

[00:18:14]Drivers often believe they are concealing phone use from nearby patrol cars, but officers sitting high above traffic can easily see drivers texting, scrolling social media, watching videos, or hiding phones low near the steering wheel. Some departments also use vans with tinted windows where officers sit in the back equipped with cameras and radios while monitoring surrounding traffic. Once a driver is spotted allegedly violating cell phone laws, nearby patrol units are directed to conduct the actual stop. In some operations, officers record suspected violations on video to preserve evidence. Supporters of these tactics argue they are necessary because distracted driving kills thousands of people every year. Law enforcement agencies insist traditional patrol methods often fail because drivers quickly hide phones when they notice marked police vehicles nearby. And this is a sensitive issue for me to an extent. I lost my mother in a car wreck in the United States in 1996. Critics, however, say these operations increasingly resemble surveillance things designed to maximize ticket revenue. They argue that hidden observers in trucks and vans create an environment where officers are aggressively hunting for violations while still relying on subjective observations that can easily be mistaken. The Kathleen Thomas case may intensify those concerns dramatically.

[00:19:40]If an officer could allegedly claim to see a phone in a non-existent right hand, many people will naturally begin questioning how reliable distracted driving observations truly are.

[00:19:51]especially when made from moving vehicles in heavy traffic. Now that the citation has been dismissed, another major question emerges. Could Kathleen Thomas potentially sue the officer or the sheriff's office? Legal experts would likely examine several possible avenues. Although these cases are rarely simple, one possible claim could involve civil rights violations if attorneys could show the deputy knowingly made false statements that resulted in an unlawful stop or citation. Another area could involve disability related legal protections. Because Thomas is an ampute, attorneys might explore whether the circumstances raise issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act or related state disability discrimination laws. If it could somehow be shown that the officer acted with reckless disregard regarding her disability or intentionally fabricated claims despite obvious physical facts, the case could become even more serious for the department. I'm looking at si similar claims for my client in Hinesville, Georgia, who was the ampute, the gentleman left in a wheelchair on the side of the road at 2:30 in the morning because the officer had the car towed when in fact the car had insurance.

[00:21:03]Please go look at that video that we did about 2 weeks ago. However, lawsuits against police officers and sheriff's officers are notoriously difficult. I know because I do it full-time. Officers typically receive broad legal protections under qualified immunity doctrines and governmental immunity laws. Even if the stop appears embarrassing or incompetent, proving a constitutional violation or actionable discrimination claim can still be extremely challenging in court. But regardless of whether a lawsuit succeeds, the public relations damage to the sheriff's office may already be significant. Cases involving apparent dishonesty by law enforcement can rapidly erode public trust, especially when body camera footage appears to directly contradict an officer's claims.

[00:21:49]And how should the sheriff handle this?

[00:21:51]Personally, if I was his public relations agent or a lawyer, I'd go in front of the microphone and say, "This deputy was an idiot. We own it, and we're going to discipline him for doing this, if not fire him because he was caught lying on the video." That's really the best way to handle it.

[00:22:07]transparency, accountability, and stop making excuses. Just call it for what it is. Now, that brings up another major issue. Again, as I state, how should this sheriff respond publicly? And that's what I state that he should do.

[00:22:20]Some members of the public believe the sheriff should immediately acknowledge the mistake, as I stated, openly condemn the dishonesty and clearly state that lying or fabricating observations will not be tolerated within the department.

[00:22:32]Supporters of that approach argue that transparency and accountability, as I just stated, are the only ways to rebuild trust once credibility has been damaged. Others argue that law enforcement leaders almost never publicly humiliate officers before investigations are complete because doing so can create union conflicts, damage department morale, and increase civil liability exposure. departments often preferred carefully worded statements emphasizing professionalism, ongoing review processes, and policy evaluations rather than directly calling an officer incompetent or dishonest.

[00:23:10]Still, critics say vague public statements and institutional defensiveness often make situations far worse. In the age of body cameras and viral social media clips, many people expect immediate transparency when video evidence appears inconsistent with official narratives. If leadership appears evasive or overly protective of officers, the perception of a cover up can spread rapidly online. Well, that happened today. Ultimately, this story has become far bigger than a simple cell phone ticket. It now touches on police credibility, aggressive tra traffic enforcement tactics, disability awareness, government accountability, and the broader question of how much trust the public should place in roadside officer observations. And what is interesting is that this lady had a sense of humor. She literally raised her right arm up and stated something to the effect of, "I promise to the hand of God." You'll see, you saw that in the video, which I thought was hilarious again. And perhaps the biggest lesson of all of this is this. Body cameras are not only tools that protect police officers. In some cases, they may also protect ordinary citizens from officers whose claims simply do not match reality. And all day I have been seeing memes and jokes, things about like how the officer quote handed her the ticket.

[00:24:31]And I saw something else about, well, how would she swear the oath in court?

[00:24:36]I've seen some really funny comments.

[00:24:37]The lady in the video clearly had a sense of humor and was having fun with this and she saw an opportunity to entrap the officer with his own words.

[00:24:45]Again, I hope you enjoyed this video.

[00:24:47]Please click like, share, subscribe, and let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you know some good jokes, put them in the comments and help me drive that algorithm. Have a great day.