'ER' Actress Vanessa Marquez Shot and Killed by Police During a Welfare Check

On Thursday, actress Vanessa Marquez was shot and killed by South Pasadena police during a welfare check, the Washington Post reported. Marquez was best known for her roles as nurse Wendy Goldman in the show “ER” and as Ana Delgado in “Stand and Deliver.” She was 49 years old.

According to the Washington Post, Marquez’s landlord, who was concerned about her well-being, requested the welfare check. When police and a Los Angeles County Mental Health clinician arrived, she was having medical issues including seizures. Lt. Joe Mendoza of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told reporters, “It appeared that the female was gravely disabled.” Authorities say she became uncooperative and appeared to be possibly suffering from mental health issues.

TMZ reported that authorities believe Vanessa had mental issues stemming from an eating disorder, which might have triggered the seizures.

According to officers, after about an hour, Marquez pulled out a gun. Police fired, hitting her in the torso. It was later discovered the firearm Marquez pulled out was a BB gun. Marquez was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Some took to Twitter to express condolences, and comment on the way Marquez died, including Erik Ki La Salle, who played Dr. Peter Benton on “ER” and actor James Woods.

We tragically lost a member of our ER family yesterday. Vanessa Marquez played a nurse when the show first aired. Sending out condolences to her family and friends. May she rest in eternal peace.

— Eriq La Salle (@EriqLaSalle23) August 31, 2018

This is an absolute tragedy. We must help people who are suffering from mental instability issues and full blown mental illness. Millions of Americans are vulnerable. For every well known person like #VanessaMarquez, so many others fall through the cracks. https://t.co/j7kIFaqjGm

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 31, 2018

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

Right now I have been crying for literally hours and I did not sleep at all last night. My dear friend Vanessa Marquez was shot and killed by the South Pasadena Police yesterday. She played Nurse Wendy on Er. She was the kindest, gentlest person I know.

— Terence Towles Canote (@mercurie80) August 31, 2018

According to a database maintained by The Washington Post, 679 people have been fatally shot by police in 2018. So far, 18 percent of those cases involved someone with a known mental illness. In 2015 and 2016, one in four police shootings involved a person with a mental illness.