Former ER actress Vanessa Marquez was shot and killed by South Pasadena police after she was seen brandishing a BB gun on Thursday.
Police responded to a call at Marquez’s home at the 1100 block of Fremont Avenue. The call was made by her landlord to check on her well-being. The officers arrived around 12 P.M and called in paramedics and a health clinician as Marquez was suffering from seizures. However, after an hour and half Marquez armed herself with a BB gun and pointing it at the officers. Sheriff’s Lt. Joe Mendoza explained that once Marquez began pointing the gun at the officers they opened fire.
Mendoza told reporters that Marquez also appeared to be having “mental problems” and was “gravely disabled.”
The South Pasadena police department reported there was an officer involved shooting at the 1100 Block of Fremont Avenue for a welfare check.
The shooting was originally described as “a confrontation with a subject ensued and an officer involved shooting occurred.”
OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING https://t.co/Zu9KgxEU5y
— South Pasadena PD (@southpaspd) August 30, 2018
They would go on to close Fremont Avenue between Oxley Street and Monterey Road.
Major police activity in town. FREMONT AVENUE BETWEEN OXLEY STREET AND MONTEREY ROAD IS CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTION UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Please be patient. Stay tuned for further information pic.twitter.com/mF57FuMNy3
— South Pasadena PD (@southpaspd) August 30, 2018
It wasn’t reported reopened until hours later.
We at @southpaspd have reopened Fremont Avenue in both directions. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
— South Pasadena PD (@southpaspd) August 31, 2018
Marquez appeared as Nurse Wendy Goldman on ER from 1994 to 1997. She appeared in 27 episodes in total. She also had a guest appearance as Linda Cortez on Melrose Place.
Last January, she wrote a lengthy Facebook post where she detailed she had a terminal prognosis from the Mayo Clinic.
Last October, Marquez claimed that co-star George Clooney had her blacklisted when she spoke out about harassment. She had also claimed she had been groped on the set of ER, but when she spoke out, she was blacklisted.
She would Tweet, “Clooney helped blacklist me when I spoke up abt harassment on ER.’women who dont play the game lose career’I did.”
Clooney responded by stating that he was not involved with casting on the show:
“I had no idea Vanessa was blacklisted. I take her at her word. I was not a writer or a producer or a director on that show. I had nothing to do with casting. I was an actor and only an actor. If she was told I was involved in any decision about her career then she was lied to. The fact that I couldn’t affect her career is only surpassed by the fact that I wouldn’t.”
Marquez was 49.