‘ER’ actress Vanessa Marquez shot and killed by California police during wellness check at home
Actress Vanessa Marquez was identified by authorities Friday as the 49-year-old woman shot and killed by police a day earlier during a welfare check at her apartment in South Pasadena, Calif.
Marquez was best known for her recurring role as nurse Wendy Goldman on the popular medical drama “ER,†which ran for 15 seasons until 2009. Marquez appeared on the show from 1994 to 1997.
More recently, Marquez used social media to reference her struggles with celiac disease and seizures. She wrote on Facebook in March that she was “terminally ill.â€
She also grabbed headlines last year when she accused her “ER†co-star George Clooney of helping to blacklist her from the series. He denied the allegations.
Marquez’s landlord called police Thursday to request a wellness check on her, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Joe Mendoza said. She was having a seizure when authorities arrived at her apartment, in the 1100 block of Fremont Avenue, about noon.
Officers and a county mental health clinician spoke with Marquez for more than 90 minutes in an effort to persuade her to accept medical help. Police said she was “uncooperative,†may have been suffering from mental health issues and appeared to be unable to care for herself.
Then, while they were talking, Marquez grabbed what they thought was a semiautomatic handgun and pointed it at them, Mendoza said.
Two officers fired at her, striking her at least once in the torso, Mendoza said.
The officers retrieved a weapon after the shooting and determined it was a BB gun that resembled a pistol, Mendoza said.
Marquez was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The Sheriff’s Department is investigating, as is common in police shootings. The names of the officers involved have not been released.
A similar incident involving South Pasadena police occurred in June 2017, when authorities said 41-year-old Marco Cardoza pointed what appeared to be a handgun at officers who were attempting to serve a warrant at his Burbank home. Multiple officers fired their weapons at Cardoza, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives later learned that the man’s pistol was a replica.
Twitter: @Hannahnfry
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