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<\/p>\nBody camera video from Feb. 11 shows a Palm Beach County Sheriff\u2019s Office deputy walking up to the driver, Kathleen Thompson, saying he saw her manipulating her phone with her right hand. Thompson then raised her right arm and revealed she was missing her right hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo do you just want to call this a day?\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to call it a day,\u201d the deputy said. \u201cYou had a hand up manipulating your phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Photo courtesy of the Palm Beach County Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just said my right hand,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell I thought I saw your right hand,\u201d the deputy said. \u201cYou had a hand up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The deputy then asked if she was holding the phone at all, and Thompson said she was not.<\/p>\n
\u201cHand to God, you did not have your phone in your hand?\u201d the deputy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHand to God,\u201d Thompson said, raising her right arm.<\/p>\n
The deputy then prompts her to raise her other hand, before asking for her license and registration.<\/p>\n
The deputy issued Thompson a citation, accusing her of violating Florida\u2019s wireless communications while driving law.<\/p>\n
A court hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, but the citation was dropped at the request of the deputy who issued it, according to court records.<\/p>\n
The video drew attention after Thompson posted a video on TikTok<\/a>, in which she asked viewers their opinion on the incident and disputed the deputy\u2019s claims.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this particular case, the deputy initiated a traffic stop based upon his visual observation at the time of the incident,\u201d the sheriff\u2019s office said. \u201cAfter additional review of the Florida State Statutes involved and based upon the totality of the circumstances, specifically the lack of clarity on how violations are labeled in our citation software, the decision was ultimately made to dismiss based upon the difference in wording between Florida State Statute 316.305 and 316.306.\u201d<\/p>\n The sheriff\u2019s office said its deputies are \u201crequired to make decisions based on observations made in real time.\u201d<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n \u00a0For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n