Kathleen Thomas, a 36-year-old Florida resident born without a right hand, was pulled over in Lake Worth Beach for allegedly using her phone while driving. Despite showing the deputy that she couldn't hold a phone with her nonexistent right hand, she received a ticket.
Key Takeaways
Kathleen Thomas, who was born without a right hand, was pulled over by a Florida deputy for allegedly using her phone while driving. Despite showing she couldn't hold a phone in her right hand, she received a ticket. The bodycam footage went viral, leading the deputy to dismiss the ticket.
- Kathleen Thomas was ticketed for alleged distracted driving despite having no right hand
- Bodycam footage shows deputy insisting on issuing the ticket after seeing her limb difference
- Viral video led to the ticket being dismissed by the deputy
- Thomas hopes the incident raises awareness about limb differences
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▼Source Claims Check
1 Difference FoundAll 3 publishers report consistent facts across 4 key claims. 1 point of difference noted.
| Claim | Status | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas' Reaction To The Stop | 1 Difference | CBS and HuffPost report initial laughter; Fox News reports burst of laughter | ▼ |
| Deputy's Initial Observation | Broad Agreement | Deputy saw phone in right hand | |
| Deputy's Request For Thomas To Swear 'hand To God' | Broad Agreement | Deputy asked her to raise left hand instead | |
| Ticket Dismissal Reason | Broad Agreement | Lack of clarity in citation software wording | |
| Thomas' Hope For The Situation | Broad Agreement | Raises awareness about limb differences |
Thomas' Reaction To The Stop
▼CBS and HuffPost report initial laughter; Fox News reports burst of laughter
Deputy's Initial Observation
Broad AgreementDeputy saw phone in right hand
Deputy's Request For Thomas To Swear 'hand To God'
Broad AgreementDeputy asked her to raise left hand instead
Ticket Dismissal Reason
Broad AgreementLack of clarity in citation software wording
Thomas' Hope For The Situation
Broad AgreementRaises awareness about limb differences
This analysis is AI-generated and may not perfectly represent each source's reporting. Always read the original articles for full context.
The bodycam footage of the incident went viral, garnering millions of views across social media platforms. In the video, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy insists on issuing the ticket even after Thomas raises her right arm to show him that it ends at the elbow. The deputy asks her to swear "hand to God" with her left hand instead.
Thomas shared the bodycam footage on social media, which quickly went viral and brought her tens of thousands of new followers. The incident led to a scheduled court date, but on Monday, the deputy who wrote the ticket asked for it to be dismissed. According to Thomas, the deputy realized that he might not have handled the situation correctly.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office stated in a release that the deputy initiated the traffic stop based on his visual observation at the time of the incident. The department said the ticket was dismissed after a review of state statutes and "based upon the totality of the circumstances, specifically the lack of clarity on how violations are labeled in our citation software."
Thomas expressed that she hopes this situation can raise awareness about limb differences and encourage people to be more understanding. She also mentioned that she doesn't believe the deputy acted with malice but rather lacked training to handle such situations.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 3 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.