Palm Beach Sheriff Dismisses Citation for 1-Handed Driver as Viral Stop Draws Backlash
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 29
Palm Beach Sheriff Dismisses Citation for 1-Handed Driver as Viral Stop Draws Backlash
8 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 29
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said it dismissed a citation issued to 36-year-old Kathleen Thomas after body-camera footage of the February stop spread widely online.
The video shows a deputy accusing Thomas of holding a phone in her right hand, then continuing the stop after she revealed her right arm ends below the elbow.
Millions of views on TikTok, Instagram and X fueled criticism of why the deputy kept pressing the allegation despite the apparent mistake captured on camera.
The sheriff's office said the deputy acted on a real-time visual observation, but the ticket was dropped after review found unclear labeling in citation software and wording differences between Florida statutes 316.305 and 316.306.
A viral video got her ticket dismissed, but what happened to the deputy who refused to believe his own eyes?
When holding a phone isn't always illegal in Florida, why did this traffic stop even happen?