Viral One-Handed Woman Katie Thomas Says Officer Who Ticketed Her Needs Training

The one-handed woman who went viral after a police officer ticketed her for driving while using her phone with a hand she doesn't have says the cop doesn't need to apologize ... he just needs training!

TMZ caught up with the trailblazer, Florida resident Katie Thomas, after her case was dismissed this week for lack of evidence ... and she tells TMZ the unnamed officer has nothing to apologize for. Instead, she thinks he just needs some practice with people with limb differences and other disabilities. But, she knows you can only lead a horse to the water, and says he needs to yearn to learn.

Katie also gives us insight into why she believes the officer insisted she was using her phone in her right hand despite being shown she doesn't have one ... it's all in the clip.

You likely heard about the viral interaction -- Katie was pulled over by a deputy from the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office while driving in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, in February. The officer accused her of using her phone in her right hand and even gave her a citation after she repeatedly showed him she doesn't have a right hand.

She planned on fighting the ticket ... but the case was dismissed before she even set foot in the courtroom.

Katie's story has lit up the internet with people in disbelief over the officer's persistence ... and she tells TMZ she plans on using the uncomfortable interaction for good. She's gained hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, and she tells us she will use her elevated spotlight to continue spreading the word on limb difference -- meaning someone who has a limb that's missing, not fully formed, or formed differently.

The adaptive athlete also has exciting plans for the future -- she will start training with the U.S. Women's Sitting National Team -- who won gold at the 2016 Paralympics -- in July ... and she hopes she'll secure a spot on the team.