Two days after the shooting death of actress Vanessa Marquez during a police welfare check, South Pasadena city officials on Saturday urged the public to withhold judgment.
“We believe our officers acted appropriately under a tragic set of circumstances,” city manager Stephanie DeWolfe said in a statement.
Marquez, best known for appearing in “Stand and Deliver” and “ER,” was fatally shot by South Pasadena police on Thursday afternoon after she allegedly pointed what later turned out to be a BB gun at the officers.
Police and a county mental health clinician had responded to the apartment complex where the actress lived to check on a resident believed to be suffering from a medical condition, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The agency said Marquez became uncooperative and appeared to have “mental issues.” Authorities spoke to her for more than an hour, during which armed herself with the replica handgun, investigators said.
After police shot her, Marquez was taken to the hospital, where she was declared dead. Officers recovered the BB gun at the scene, according to detectives.
South Pasadena officials said they were cooperating with two independent probes being conducted by the Sheriff’s Department and the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.
DeWolfe called the incident “unfortunate and sad,” offering condolences for Marquez’s family, friends, colleagues and fans on behalf of the city.
She also reiterated support for the officers involved in the shooting.
“We believe the facts will show that our officers, along with a mental health professional, made every attempt to resolve the situation peacefully before the use of deadly force became necessary,” De Wolfe said.
