The roadside hiccup went down in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, in February, when a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy pulled over 36-year-old Kathleen Thomas. The officer insisted she was clutching a cellphone in her right hand.<\/p>\n
But body camera footage released this week captures the moment the deputy\u2019s case blew up.<\/p>\n
As the officer began lecturing her about the dangers of distracted driving<\/a>, Thomas did not even bother to argue. Instead, she flashed her right arm, which ends at the forearm.<\/p>\n JACKSONVILLE MAYOR SAYS VIRAL POLICE PUNCH VIDEO ‘DISTURBING’ AS PROBE MOVES FORWARD<\/a><\/p>\n Newly released body camera video shows a woman with one hand being cited for allegedly holding a phone while driving. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office \/TMX)<\/p>\n “So, obviously not,” Thomas said, bursting into laughter in the now viral clip. “So, you want to just call this a day or \u2026?”<\/p>\n “I don’t want to call a day. You had a hand manipulator,” the deputy said. “I thought I saw your hand.”<\/p>\n MICHIGAN JUDGE BLASTS WOMAN FOR DRIVING DURING ZOOM COURT HEARING: \u2018DO YOU THINK I’M THAT STUPID?\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n “Well you didn’t,” Thomas replied.<\/p>\n The deputy then appeared to backtrack, saying, “With the right hand, perhaps not.”<\/p>\n GOT A TIP?<\/a><\/p>\n The case drew widespread attention after the driver posted video of the traffic stop on TikTok, where she questioned the deputy\u2019s claim that he saw a device in her “right hand.” She said she does not have a right hand. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office \/TMX)<\/p>\n WATCH: MOST OUTRAGEOUS COURTROOM MOMENTS AND POLICE ENCOUNTERS THAT WENT VIRAL IN 2024<\/a><\/p>\n The unnamed officer continued to insist that he saw a phone. Thomas, once again, showed her right arm. At one point during the exchange, the officer appealed to a higher power.<\/p>\n FOLLOW US ON X<\/a><\/p>\n “Hand to God, you did not have your phone in your hand?” he asked her in the video.<\/p>\n “Hand to God,” Thomas replied, holding up her right hand.<\/p>\n GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL<\/a><\/p>\n “Other hand to God,” the officer said, as Thomas lifted her left arm.<\/p>\n During the viral traffic stop, the woman, identified as Katie, has an uncomfortable interaction with a Palm Beach County Sheriff\u2019s deputy after he accused her of holding a phone in her right hand while driving. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office\/TMX)<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS<\/a><\/p>\n The awkward interaction has since exploded online, generating millions of views across Instagram<\/a>, TikTok and X as users criticized the stop and questioned why the deputy continued issuing the ticket after the apparent mistake.<\/p>\n Sheriff’s department responds<\/p>\n In a statement to Fox News Digital, Palm Beach Sheriff Department’s Public Information Officer\/Director of the Bureau of Public Affairs Terri Barbera said the department is “committed to enforcing Florida traffic laws.”<\/p>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/driver-pulled-over.gif\")
<\/p>\n![\"Driver](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Palm-Beach-Hand-02.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Katie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Palm-Beach-Hand-Fox-News-01.jpeg\")
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