Generic stock image of police car lights shot September 8, 2020. (Stephen M. Katz/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Kathleen Thomas is now a social media sensation! Her newfound fame comes after body cam footage showed a Florida officer’s controversial interaction with her. Thomas, who is missing one hand, was pulled over for alleged distracted driving. After she challenged the officer’s accusation, he refused to back down and issued her a traffic citation. That ticket has reportedly been dismissed. Still, the viral video has internet users goin’ IN and calling for consequences against the responding officer.
On Feb. 11, a Florida officer pulled over Kathleen Thomas as she was driving on the North Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach, per 12News. However, Thomas drew recent attention to the case after sharing her experience in a TikTok video. Since then, body cam footage shows exactly what happened after the pull-over. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy said, upon approach, that the city was conducting an operation on distracted driving.
“…And you drove past me, holding the phone with your right hand, manipulating the phone,” the Florida deputy says in the footage. Kathleen, looking at the deputy, raises her right arm to reveal a stub in place of her hand. Despite her missing hand reveal, the officer appeared to double down on what he allegedly saw, even after the 36-year-old laughed off the evident mistake. When she hilariously asked whether he wanted to ‘call this a day,’ the officer refused.
When she challenged his statement about her right hand, he continued to push back and even asked her, “…Hand to God, you did not have a phone in your hand?” She raised her stub and repeated, “Hand to God,” to which he replied, “The other hand to God…” and she then raised her other hand. Afterward, the deputy asked for her driver’s license and insurance and still issued a citation.
According to CBS News, the court has since dropped the $116 citation after the sheriff’s office and/or the officer asked for it to be dismissed on Monday (May 25). She had planned to challenge the citation. So far, there’s been no word from the deputy involved. Additionally, it’s unclear whether he faced any disciplinary actions or whether he violated the Americans with Disabilities Act or any other anti-discriminatory laws. Kathleen Thomas told CBS that she handled it the legal way. She’s thankful it didn’t escalate further.
“…I was able to leave the encounter and, you know, handle it within the court system,” Thomas said. Adding that police officers aren’t trained well enough to handle a case involving someone with a missing limb.
“I would love to ask those questions about what are the protocols? What kind of exposure do you have? Do you have any questions? Like what can we do to make this interaction better for the both of us?”
She’s expected to appear on the news program this Friday to comment further on her viral interaction, per The Palm Beach Post.
Within 19 hours of CBS News posting the body cam footage on YouTube, it got more than 113,000 views and over 2,200 comments. Many highlighted the disappointment and dangers of a law enforcement officer who is unable to admit to a mistake. Others commented on Kathleen Thomas’ hilarious responses, from her clap backs and the “Hand to God” moment.
YouTube user @CrashOutsDaily said, “It was her immediately laughing in his face with her missing hand that shattered his little ego to pieces.”
@LadyStackz commented, “A cop that can’t acknowledge their own mistake is a dangerous cop.”
@anns2897 wrote, “This officer is dangerous. What else has he done? That poor woman.”
“Fun part is that this video can now be used as evidence in every case the officer is involved in to prove he’s an unreliable witness,” @purgal5250 added.
“This officer should be fired. He is not to be trusted. Clearly,” @mooshy10285 commented.
“‘Other hand to God’-that was so tacky and cruel. He could’ve just apologized and moved on to falsely accuse someone else,” @AliValentine143 said.
“The officer is a bully and waited until the last moment to remove the court case so that she still had to take a day off work,” @europeanunion6731 wrote.
“The officer couldn’t have just said “sorry, my mistake, have a nice day?” That would have been both the ethical and adult action to take,” @susanmazei1834 commented.
“To the people saying he couldnt admit he was wrong. its because he WASNT WRONG. he was INTENTIONALLY LYING. Big difference, and he should be fired,” @techiebliss said.
“IDK but it seems like he needs a full mental evaluation before he is allowed to carry a weapon again let alone pull someone over,” derrickbeaubearic4100 added.
“The real question here is what should happen to deceitful cops like this because if the lady did have a right hand how would it be proven that she was/ was not using a phone?” @Andrewalker-15x commented.
