Officer fired after video of racist remarks appeals termination, HPD union says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A former Houston Police Department officer who was fired following an investigation into racist videos that went viral online has appealed her termination, the Houston Police Officers' Union confirmed.

HPD said Ashley Gonzalez was let go from the department on April 24 after she was under investigation for a video showing a woman making racist remarks about Black people.

The video above is from a previous report.

PREVIOUS REPORT: HPD officer fired following investigation into video of racist remarks on Instagram profile

On Tuesday, Eyewitness News learned from the Houston Police Officers' Union that Gonzalez appealed her termination.

In a previously released statement, Mayor John Whitmire said Gonzalez's comments were outrageous and reprehensible.

"The behavior exhibited by Ashley Gonzalez was abhorrent, disgusting, and entirely unacceptable," Chief J. Noe Diaz, Jr. previously said. "It is deeply disturbing and has no place in law enforcement or in our community."

The Houston Police Department investigated the videos, which were initially shared with a limited audience via Instagram's 'Close Friends' feature and later circulated more widely.

Gonzalez was initially relieved of duty on April 23, only to be fired the next day.

READ MORE: Houston police officer relieved of duty after racist videos surface, internal investigation underway