HOUSTON — The Houston Police Department fired Officer Ashley Gonzalez on Friday, April 24, 2026, after a video in which she made racist remarks circulated on social media. The department announced on X that Gonzalez was no longer an employee.

Gonzalez, who was sworn in in January 2024 and assigned to the South Gessner Patrol Division, had been relieved of duty pending an Internal Affairs investigation. She was ordered to turn in her badge and gun and was checked daily at her home, and she continued to receive pay during the review. Gonzalez is legally allowed to appeal her firing, and she retains a Texas Peace Officer certification that could allow her to work for another department.

In a video shared to Instagram and later circulated on Facebook, Gonzalez used racial slurs multiple times, referenced slavery, said she hated Black people, and threatened to arrest any Black person at a call she was dispatched to. Gonzalez said in the video, "Y'all don't know how good it felt to say [racial slur] out loud. Oh my God, I felt like I was back in the Marine Corps." The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed that Gonzalez served from 2019 to 2023, attaining the rank of Corporal.

Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz, Jr. said the behavior was "abhorrent, disgusting, and entirely unacceptable" and "deeply disturbing and has no place in law enforcement or in our community."

Bishop James Dixon, president of the Houston NAACP chapter, condemned the remarks. "That is a sick mindset and is violence waiting to happen," Dixon said. He said most people in law enforcement do not represent that ideology and that Gonzalez had misrepresented her colleagues and those who provide community service to build public trust.

Houston City Councilmember Alejandra Salinas called for HPD to examine whether any prior arrests, reports, or testimony involving Gonzalez may have been affected by racial bias. A spokesperson for the Harris County District Attorney's Office said the video had not prompted a review of Gonzalez's past arrests that led to charges.

A protest against Gonzalez was planned outside Houston Police Headquarters on April 24.