UMVA has learned that newly released police body‑camera footage captured a shocking confrontation between a Palm Beach County officer and Kathleen Thomas, a 36‑year‑old woman born without a right hand.
During a routine traffic stop on North Dixie Highway, the officer accused Thomas of “holding the phone with your right hand,” insisting she was texting while driving. In an instant, Thomas lifted her arm, revealing the smooth stump where a hand should be, and challenged the claim.
“So I’m obviously not. So you wanna just call this a day?” she asked, her voice steady despite the officer’s disbelief.
The officer pressed on, refusing to accept her explanation. “I don’t want to call it a day. You had a hand up,” he replied, his tone shifting from procedural to humiliating.
He escalated the encounter, demanding Thomas place a “hand to God” as a solemn oath that she wasn’t texting. Thomas complied, holding up her stump as the only “hand” she possessed.
Undeterred, the officer repeated the demand, insisting on “the other hand to God,” further exposing his insensitivity.
Despite the officer’s obstinacy, Thomas received a citation that was later thrown out after she contested it in court, vindicating her claim and highlighting the absurdity of the stop.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that this footage underscores a broader issue of bias and misunderstanding faced by individuals with disabilities, prompting calls for renewed training and empathy within law enforcement.
