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Houston officer fired for racist rant, DA reviewing criminal cases she was involved in

Ashley Gonzalez was fired after HPD officials connected her with videos where she said she used her role as an officer to target Black people

HOUSTON — A Houston Police Officer has been fired and her cases are being reviewed after she was connected with an Instagram profile that posted several videos of racist rants, ABC 13 reported.

Ashley Gonzalez was terminated on April 25 after department officials identified her as the speaker in videos depicting slur-ridden rants on social media. The department stated the videos were at first shared through Instagram’s “close friends” feature, which limited their reach, but were later circulated more widely.

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“The behavior exhibited by Ashley Gonzalez was abhorrent, disgusting and entirely unacceptable,” Chief J. Noe Diaz, Jr. stated. “It is deeply disturbing and has no place in law enforcement or in our community.”

One video included offensive comments and racial slurs, while another depicted Gonzalez stating that she used her role as an officer to target Black people. Gonzalez was first employed by HPD in January 2024 and was assigned to the South Gessner Patrol Division, ABC 13 reported.

“Let me get a Black person on a 911 call tomorrow,” she can be heard saying in one video. “You’re going to jail.”

The Harris County District Attorney’s office is now reviewing all criminal cases in which Gonzalez was involved.

“We take seriously our ethical obligation to notify defense attorneys regarding [Gonzalez’s] discipline affecting open cases,” the office stated.

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Joanna Putman is an Associate Editor and newswriter at Police1, where she has been covering law enforcement topics since August 2023. Based in Orlando, Florida, she holds a journalism degree from the University of Florida and spent two years working in nonprofit local newsrooms, gaining experience in community-focused reporting. Married to a law enforcement officer, she works hard to highlight the challenges and triumphs of those who serve and protect. Have a news tip? Email her at news@lexipol.com