There was a ridiculous story back in February that we never got around to posting, but since there’s an update, let’s fix that now.
A police officer, clearly one of the department’s best and brightest, pulled a woman over for texting and driving because he had seen her holding a phone in her right hand. Normally that would be great, but there was just one small problem. She didn’t have a right hand.
In spite of the very obvious hole in his case, he ticketed her anyway, to the tune of $116.
In may, which seems entirely too long, the department asked that the citation be dismissed due to insufficient evidence, which…well…yeah. Evidence really doesn’t get much more insufficient than this.
And now, in August which also seems entirely too long, comes word that the Deputy in question, Yosvani Quesada, has been given a verbal reprimand. Verbal? Like not written down and stuck in his file forever? That oughta teach him.
Other than police officer or President of the United States, I’d love to know where I can find a job where no matter how terrible I am at it I can just keep failing up and up and up and up.
But at least this woman, who if my own disabled person experience means anything probably goes through more than her fair share of crap in an average day thanks to the general public, doesn’t have to pay for his incompetence.
According to a summary of a PBSO Internal Affairs report, PBSO Deputy Yosvani Quesada has received a verbal reprimand for the incident on February 11 when he pulled over Kathleen Thomas, a Lake Worth Beach resident, for texting while driving.
Thomas, who has only one arm, got a $116 ticket. The traffic stop in the 1800 block of North Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach was recorded on Deputy Quesada’s body-worn camera. Deputy Quesada told Thomas he saw her holding a cell phone in her right hand while driving, even though he could clearly see during the traffic stop that she had no right hand.
The Internal Affairs report says: “Deputy Sheriff Yosvani Quesada misunderstood the legal elements necessary to establish a violation of wireless communication, device hand held while driving-first offense.”