'ER' star shot and killed by police

Actress Vanessa Marquez was most famously known for her role as Nurse Wendy on the medical drama show, "ER."

On Thursday afternoon, Marquez was shot and killed outside her apartment when officers who were attending to a "welfare call" shot her in the torso. 

Marquez was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Read more on our Twitter account, @amomama_usa. 

She was believed to suffer from seizures brought on by a mental health condition, and her landlord called authorities out of concern for her wellbeing. 

As reported by TMZ, the officers said she became "combative" and waved around what they thought was an automatic handgun. 

It was later revealed to be a toy BB gun, and that she was experiencing a seizure at the time when they shot and killed her. 

The news quickly made headlines, with reporter Ruby Gonzales sharing photos from the scene of the crime at her home in Pasadena. 

Terence Towles Canote, who said on Twitter that he was a close friend of Marquez, said he had been crying for most of the night when he heard the news. He explained: 

"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."

Writer Matt Oswald said he was devastated by the news too because he "knew she suffered severe health issues that affected her personality."

However, he never imagined it would end like this and told his followers that they were both TCM fans who would discuss classic movies for hours at a time.

Marquez's career spanned three decades, and she landed her first role as Ana Delgado in "Stand and Deliver" back in 1988. 

Six years later, she was cast as Nurse Wendy Goldman in 27 episodes of "ER" and gave life to the character for three years. 

Marquez claimed back in 2017 that she blacklisted by the show and co-star George Clooney when spoke out about racial discrimination and sexual harassment. 

She also had a minor role in "Malcolm & Eddie" and her last film credit was for a short titled "The Problem With Evolution."