Hello, ma'am. Hey, good morning. I'm Deputy Gonzalez with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. The reason why you're being pulled over in the city of Lake Worth 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 with your right >> not. >> [laughter] >> So, you want to just call this a day? >> I don't want to call it a day. You had a hand up manipulating the >> said my right hand. >> Well, I I thought I saw you with your right hand. You had a hand up. >> The right hand. I saw you manipulating the phone. >> With the right hand perhaps not, right? But I saw you >> didn't see me with my right hand. >> I didn't say your right So, are you saying >> that you saw me with my right hand? >> I just said. I know what I just said. I'm asking you now, did you did you not have your phone on your on your hand? >> I did not. >> You did not have your phone on your hand? >> not. >> Hand to God you did not have your phone on your hand? >> Hand to God. >> Do you have your other hand to God you did not have your phone on your hand? >> Hand to God. >> February 11th around 8:04 in the morning North Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Beach, Florida. During a distracted driving operation, a Palm Beach County Deputy pulls over 36-year-old Kathleen Thomas accusing her of holding and texting on a cell phone with her right hand while driving. But seconds into the stop, the situation takes a bizarre turn. Kathleen Thomas was born without a right hand. Body cam footage captures the moment Thomas raises her residual limb in disbelief after the Deputy insists he saw her holding the phone. Despite the obvious mistake, the stop continues and the Deputy even asks her to put a hand to God that she wasn't texting before awkwardly responding the other hand to God. The encounter quickly exploded online turning a simple traffic stop into a viral national story and raising serious questions about police observation, assumptions, and accountability. Tonight, we break down the full body cam footage, the Deputy's accusations, the public backlash, and how the entire case collapsed before reaching court. >> Everything I had to not throw up in his backseat. >> [laughter] >> That 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 >> Very tolerant person. >> If I couldn't smell it, I don't care what you're doing. >> Okay, this didn't bother you at all? Cuz a lot of times you can smell it. >> Maybe it's different because I'm a girl. >> Hello, ma'am. >> Hi. >> Hey, good morning. I'm Deputy Gusso with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. Reason why you're being pulled over in the city of Lake Worth 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 with the phone in your hand. >> not. So, you want to just call this a day or >> want to call it a day. You had a hand up manipulating the phone. >> my right hand. >> Well, I thought I saw you with your right hand. You had a hand up. The right hand. I saw you manipulating >> with the right hand, perhaps not, right? But I saw you manipulating >> didn't see me with my right hand. >> Okay, I saw you. So, I mean, >> I'm saying that you saw me with my right >> 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 your on your hand? >> I did not. >> You did not have your phone on your hand. >> not. >> Hand to God, you did not have your phone on your hand. >> Hand to God. >> Do you have your hand to God you did not have your phone on your hand? >> Hand to God. >> Cool. You have your driver's license, registration, and insurance with you? >> I think this is the current one. They're all in the same pile, so it's not like I'm hiding anything. And you need insurance, too? >> Just need to get insurance. What's What's Mrs. Thomas? >> Here's the cover page for it. I'm trying to find you the call or something. >> North case showed good attitude. >> Yes. >> All right. Hands out from here. >> He told that he'd been in an Uber and feel like their driver was intoxicated. You can't tell me this isn't already a problem. >> it's a problem if humans involved. >> I guarantee you there's litigation right now. >> Well, there you go. After you hear a story like that, maybe playing the chips and talking to somebody about football is not such a bad thing after all. >> guess what? I got to take a Lyft home today. >> Good luck after this. >> What's coming up on the Dirt of the Day, Dirt of the Day. Well, this is a major shakeup. I was all excited about The Real Housewives of New York. They flipped networks. They were leaving Bravo, going 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 5 minutes after every hour from the Katie Russo show on 97.9 WRMF from the WRMF and Dolan Accident Attorneys Traffic Center. >> Dolan Levin Accident Attorneys, call 1-800-747-3. >> That's 1-800-747-3733. >> This traffic report is a service of SchumacherAuto.com. Join the family, visit our website today at SchumacherAuto.com. 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With reliable connectivity, enhanced cyber security, advanced fiber solutions, and Wi-Fi backup, [music] Comcast Business is powering the engine of modern business. >> All right, man. So, you're going to receive a citation for a communication device handheld while driving. You can't We got to put the phone down as you operate a motor vehicle. >> Okay, and you put on there that you saw me with my right hand holding it. >> argue with that. No, if you want to take it to court >> what you said when you pulled me over. Yes. >> That's what I said. >> You saw me holding my device with my right hand. >> with you. Yes, that's what I said. Yes. >> Okay. >> Yes, so if you want to take it to court >> what you saw. >> That's what I said. I said yes. >> That's what you said you saw. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Okay. If you want to take it to court, option five on the back of the ticket, that's how you take that ticket to court. Do you have any questions for me? >> No. Thank you. >> Have a good day. >> What began as a routine distracted driving stop quickly became one of the internet's most talked about police encounters. Kathleen Thomas was issued a citation for allegedly using a phone with a hand she doesn't have. A charge that was later dismissed after the deputy requested the case be dropped due to a lack of evidence. But even after the ticket disappeared the body cam footage continued spreading online with many viewers questioning how the stop escalated so far despite the obvious contradiction. Was it simply an honest mistake made in a fast-moving situation? Or a troubling example of assumptions and abuse of power during police encounters? Let us know what you think in the comments below. And if you enjoy real police footage, courtroom updates, and true crime breakdowns, make sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss the next case.