‘ER’ Star Vanessa Marquez Killed in Police Confrontation
A former star of the hit NBC show “ER” was shot and killed by police in South Pasadena after a welfare check on her went sideways.
Actress Vanessa Marquez died in a confrontation with police today, after they were asked to conduct a welfare check.
Police say that officers and a mental health care worker arrived and tried to treat Marquez for 90 minutes, but she was uncooperative. She then reportedly pulled what appeared to be a semiautomatic handgun and pointed it at them. Police say she refused to obey commands and were forced to shoot her.
Afterward, police discovered the weapon was actually a very realistic-looking BB gun.
Marquez played the role of nurse Wendy Goldman from 1994 to 1997, at the height of the show’s popularity. She also appeared in the 1980s film Stand and Deliver.
After her run on the show ended, however, she claimed she was blacklisted in Hollywood and rarely worked. She claimed to have gone to producers of the show about harassment issues, as well as sexist and racist behavior by some of the bigger stars on the set. She directly accused George Clooney of getting her blacklisted, a charge he denied.
Marquez also suffered from a range of medical issues, including seizures, which is what prompted the welfare check call to police.
The Daily Mail reports.
The incident began unfolding just before noon when South Pasadena police officers responded to a home in the 1100 block of Fremont Avenue after getting a call about a 49-year-old woman suffering from seizures.
Sheriff’s Homicide Lt Joe Mendoza said the woman, later identified by sources and commenters on Twitter as Marquez, had eating disorders and appeared to be gravely disabled.
Three officers and a mental health care worker who was summoned to the scene spent 90 minutes trying to administer aid to her, during which time Marquez was allegedly ‘extremely uncooperative.’
At around 2pm, police say the woman grabbed what looked like a semiautomatic handgun and pointed it at the officers, prompting them to open fire on her.
ER actress shot dead by police – #VanessaMarquez, 49, ‘pulled BB gun on officers’ https://t.co/DytCCjhRnj pic.twitter.com/wRk2ijI3eS
— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) August 31, 2018
Police say they had been to Marquez‘s home on many occasions in the past, reported KABC.
The Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau has launched an investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
Matt Oswalt, a writer for Mystery Science Theater 3000, was friends with Marquez.
Heartbroken by this news. I knew Vanessa Marquez, were both @TCM fans and talked classic movies for hours on Facebook. I knew she suffered severe health issues that affected her personality but never imagined this outcome. #RIP https://t.co/dLjWjHKZvC
— Matt Oswalt (@MattOswaltVA) August 31, 2018
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