A Florida sheriff’s deputy who cited a one-armed driver for allegedly texting while driving has been disciplined months after the traffic stop drew national attention. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the deputy received a verbal reprimand following an Internal Affairs investigation.
According to CBS12 News, the incident happened on February 11 in the 1800 block of North Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach. Deputy Yosvani Quesada pulled over Kathleen Thomas and issued her a $116 citation for allegedly using a handheld wireless device while driving.
Body camera footage from the stop quickly raised questions about the citation. Although the deputy claimed he saw Thomas holding a cell phone in her right hand, it was immediately apparent during the traffic stop that Thomas only has one arm and no right hand.
Months later, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office concluded the deputy had misunderstood the law governing handheld wireless device violations. The agency ultimately determined his actions violated department policies, resulting in disciplinary action.
It’s a Weird Video To Begin With
Please give the following video just a second to load up completely.
@slightlyoff.balance Merry Christmas! Tas the night before court…. #bodycam #palmbeach #court #florida ♬ original sound – slightlyoff.balance
Just by looking at the video above, you can see just how ridiculous the entire thing is.
You can see the officer walking up to the woman’s vehicle and saying, “You drove past me holding the phone with your right hand, manipulating the phone.” Instead of justifying him with any kind of response, she simply shows her missing right hand to the officer.
The officer clearly sounds embarrassed, but continues to hold his ground and say that he saw what he saw. He was allowed to let things go, but the officer persisted, even asking her, “Hand to God, you did not manipulate your phone?”
Funnily, she raises her missing hand to swear. However, even then, she shouldn’t have had to do tha to begin with.
Internal Investigation Found Deputy Misunderstood the Law
According to a summary of the Internal Affairs investigation, Deputy Quesada “misunderstood the legal elements necessary to establish a violation of wireless communication, device hand-held while driving-first offense.” The finding came after the incident generated widespread media coverage and public scrutiny.
In a statement addressing the outcome, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said it holds all employees to high standards and investigates misconduct when it occurs. Officials added that while most employees meet those expectations, poor decisions that violate agency policies are addressed through the disciplinary process.
The sheriff’s office also reaffirmed its commitment to accountability and maintaining public trust. Officials said they will continue ensuring their actions reflect the professionalism and integrity expected by the community.
Realistically, it doesn’t take a trained officer to understand that he was in the wrong from the moment the interaction started. It quite literally would not have cost him anything had he just apologized and let her go on her merry way.
Citation Was Eventually Dismissed
The disciplinary action follows another major development in the case that occurred earlier this year. In May, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office asked the traffic court to dismiss Thomas’ citation, citing “insufficient evidence.”
As a result, the $116 texting-while-driving ticket was dropped. While the citation is no longer active, the Internal Affairs investigation concluded that Deputy Quesada’s handling of the stop warranted a verbal reprimand under agency policy.
The case became one of the more unusual traffic stops to make national headlines, with many questioning how a driver missing her right arm could have committed the violation described in the citation. The sheriff’s office has since closed the matter after dismissing the ticket and issuing the deputy with a disciplinary action.