Last February, an officer from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office stopped her on North Dixie Highway under suspicion of driving distracted by using her mobile phone.
What started as a routine traffic stop quickly turned into a bizarre situation. According to police body camera footage obtained by local media, the officer approached the vehicle and directly accused Thomas of being seen "holding the phone with her right hand" and "manipulating it" while speeding past him. In response, the driver simply raised her right arm, showing the officer the stump where her hand should normally be.
"Obviously, that's not the case," she responded incredulously and nervously laughing, suggesting to the officer to let it go in light of the physical evidence that it is impossible for her to hold a device with that limb. However, the officer remained adamant and refused to admit his initial mistake. "I don't want to let it go. You had one hand up," insisted the officer, to the amazement of Thomas who repeatedly reminded him that it was impossible for him to have seen her right hand because she doesn't have one.
In one of the most awkward moments of the encounter, the officer asked her to make a solemn oath ("hand to God") to ensure that she had not used the phone while driving. When she raised her right arm to swear, the officer awkwardly told her to use "the other hand".
Despite the absurdity, the officer issued a citation for violating Florida's wireless communication laws, resulting in a $116 fine. As expected, Thomas appealed the fine in court. Ultimately, the court hearing was canceled after the officer himself requested the case be dismissed citing "lack of evidence". Thomas celebrated the outcome on her TikTok account with an ironic: "Bro, we already knew that."