Houston Police Department Chief J. Noe Diaz Jr. indefinitely suspended Officer Ashley Gonzalez on April 24 following an Internal Affairs investigation. The investigation began after Chicago Police Department Officer M. Bazan contacted HPD about videos Gonzalez posted to Instagram.
Bazan served with Gonzalez in the U.S. Marine Corps. She told investigators she and former platoon members were offended by the videos and reported disparaging comments about African Americans. Investigators obtained three videos and photographs from Gonzalez's account.
HPD alleges Gonzalez made repeated racial slurs and stated she would arrest individuals based on race. The department cited a statement where Gonzalez allegedly said if an African American person appeared on a 911 call, they were going to jail. Gonzalez admitted to posting the videos during an Internal Affairs interview.
The department concluded Gonzalez violated policies governing professionalism, conduct, discrimination, social media use and Brady/Michael Morton Act disclosure requirements. HPD stated the comments damaged public trust and harmed its reputation. Diaz said, "These videos have been widely disseminated on several social media platforms, including both local and nationwide media platforms." The department noted one platform reported the videos had been viewed more than 1.2 million times.
Gonzalez appealed the discipline three days after her suspension. She argued the allegations were not wholly true, charges were not legally sufficient and punishment did not fit the conduct. Gonzalez is seeking reinstatement, back pay and benefits. She elected to have her case heard by an independent hearing examiner. A hearing initially scheduled for June 5 was postponed until August.