An under-fire Houston police officer was fired Friday over her now-viral racist social media rant — as officials described her hateful outburst as “deeply disturbing.”
Officer Ashley Gonzalez was formally terminated after she had been under investigation for the video she shared on Instagram, where she spewed 25 racial slurs in a 2-minute-long tirade against “black people” from inside her car.
“The Houston Police Department has terminated the employment of Ashley Gonzalez,” officials announced on X Friday. “As of today, she is no longer an employee of the department. “HPD holds every officer to the highest standards of integrity and conduct, and will not waver in upholding these expectations.”
Gonzalez, who joined the force in January 2024, proclaimed she “hates black people” and threatened to arrest any “black person” if they were at a call she was dispatched to, according to the clip shared by Grizzy’s Hood News.
“The amount of times I will always and forever say that I f–king hate (censored). I f–king hate you all,” Gonzalez allegedly says in the clip.
Gonzalez was ordered to hand in her badge and gun, but remained employed while the police department investigated the authenticity of the video.
“After discovering the incident, Ashley Gonzalez was immediately relieved of duty. In compliance with state civil service laws, an investigation was conducted as fast as legally possible,” officials added.
“The behavior exhibited by Ashley Gonzalez was abhorrent, disgusting, and entirely unacceptable,” Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz, Jr. said. “It is deeply disturbing and has no place in law enforcement or in our community.”
Gonzalez is legally allowed to appeal her firing, but Houston Police brass are confident their case will be upheld in court.
“I can’t think of legally of an arbitrator or civil service who would overturn this termination based on what we’ve seen,” retired HPD Captain Dr. Greg Fremin told KHOU.
Gonzalez served in the US Marine Corps between 2019 and 2023, attaining the rank of corporal, E3.
Despite her termination, she will still hold a Texas Peace Officer certification, which could allow her to pursue opportunities as an officer for another department.
“Without a criminal conviction or something of that type of nature, she’ll still have a state certification,” Fremin said. “But I suspect that there will be a huge outcry to certain political entities within Austin to look at this very closely, because, is there a possibility she can be hired by another agency? Absolutely. There could be. What agency would do that? I don’t know.”
Houston Mayor John Whitmire praised the department’s handling of Gonzalez’s firing, saying her behavior doesn’t belong in the city.
“Her actions do not reflect the values of our city or the Houston Police Department, nor the standards we expect from those sworn to serve and protect our community,” Whitmire said.
“Let me be clear: this behavior is unacceptable. I applaud HPD Chief Diaz for suspending Gonzalez when the department became aware of the video and firing her as soon as the state civil service process allowed,” he said.
“Let this incident serve as a warning to all City of Houston employees. There is zero tolerance for racism in my administration, and if you see it, report it immediately,” the mayor added. “I ask all Houstonians to rededicate ourselves to human rights and respect for others.”
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