Houston Officer Relieved of Duty After Racist Video

A Houston Police Department officer has been relieved of duty following the emergence of a viral social media video in which she made repeated racist remarks targeting Black people. The incident, which surfaced online this week, prompted an immediate internal investigation by the department.

Officer Ashley Gonzalez, who joined the Houston Police Department in January 2024, posted the video to her Instagram close friends list, where it was recorded and shared publicly by another user. In the footage, Gonzalez, seated in a vehicle and wearing a black top, delivers a lengthy tirade using racial slurs multiple times, including the N-word, while expressing hatred toward Black people. She compares them to chimpanzees and mocks slavery, stating at one point that using the slur felt like "peace" and reminded her of her time in the Marine Corps.

Gonzalez recounts an off-duty encounter in which she claims a man attempted to steal her wallet from her purse. She describes grabbing the individual and using slurs against him, adding that she was glad part of the video was not recorded due to her language. In another segment, she threatens to arrest any Black person involved in a 911 call she...