"There's a reason you guys were slaves!" Houston police officer relieved of duty after going on racist rant

By Facebook·14 days ago

As of April 28, 2026, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office has launched a comprehensive review of every case involving former Houston Police Department officer Ashley Gonzalez after her dismissal over a viral racist rant. Gonzalez was identified in a “Close Friends” Instagram video that spread widely online, where she used repeated racial slurs, expressed hostility toward Black individuals, and suggested she would misuse her authority to target them. In the video, she claimed she would arrest any Black individuals at scenes she responded to and said she felt “at peace” while using slurs toward people in custody. After an internal investigation, HPD Chief J. Noe Diaz fired Gonzalez on April 24, 2026, describing her actions as “abhorrent, disgusting, and completely unacceptable.” The DA’s office is now reviewing her arrest history and casework to determine whether bias affected her policing, following demands from community advocates for accountability and transparency. Prosecutors are also notifying defense attorneys in active cases about her disciplinary record due to potential credibility concerns. Gonzalez joined the department in January 2024 and was assigned to the South Gessner Patrol Division. Both HPD and the Houston Police Officers’ Union condemned her conduct, stressing that it does not represent the department’s standards or values.