Overview
- The Houston Police Department terminated Ashley Gonzalez on Friday after an internal probe the agency said moved as fast as Texas civil service law allows.
- The video, first posted to Instagram for a limited “Close Friends” audience, shows her using racial slurs and describing targeting Black people while on duty.
- Chief J. Noe Diaz called the conduct “abhorrent, disgusting, and entirely unacceptable,” as activists gathered outside HPD headquarters before the scheduled termination meeting.
- Under Texas civil service rules, Gonzalez can appeal the firing, and the department’s internal findings are expected to be sent to the state licensing agency, TCOLE.
- Legal observers and city officials are urging reviews of cases she handled for potential bias, while the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said the clip has not prompted a formal case review.