Vanessa Marquez's Mother Reaches Settlement Almost 3 Years After Police Fatally Shot ER Actress
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Alice S. Hall/NBCU Photo Bank
The city of South Pasadena in California has settled a wrongful death lawsuit that was filed by the mother of ER actress Vanessa Marquez, who was shot and killed by police officers during a wellness check.
Marquez's mother, Delia McElfresh, and the city reached a settlement of $450,000, PEOPLE confirms.
"Any loss of life is tragic," South Pasadena Mayor Diana Mahmud said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. "However, I can now report the parties have reached a mutually agreeable settlement in the amount of $450,000 in order to save the parties the costs associated with protracted litigation."
McElfresh filed the lawsuit last year against the city, its police chief, and several officers, alleging poor tactics and overreaction by police led to the fatal shooting, according to multiple reports.
The South Pasadena Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Alice S. Hall/NBCU Photo Bank
Marquez, who appeared for three seasons on the long-running NBC medical drama as nurse Wendy Goldman, was killed by South Pasadena police on Aug. 30, 2018, following a welfare check at an apartment complex for someone "who was possibly suffering from a medical condition." She was 49.
Police said they were forced to shoot after Marquez pulled out a BB gun and pointed it at the officers.
In a statement released shortly after her death, South Pasadena said its officers found Marquez "having seizures" and "possibly suffering from mental health issues."
"The star became uncooperative" and "appeared to be unable to care for herself," leading authorities to bring in a county mental health expert for assistance, police said.
Two days after the ER star's death, city officials released a statement defending the officers' actions.
Please see the following press release from city leaders regarding the officer involved shooting on 8/30/18. Thank you pic.twitter.com/RLdk0D1VzK
— South Pasadena PD (@southpaspd) September 1, 2018
RELATED: ER Actress Fatally Shot by Police Who Thought Her BB Gun Was a Handgun: Reports
"We believe our officers acted appropriately under a tragic set of circumstances," City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe said in the statement.
"We support our officers and stand by them during this investigation. 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," DeWolfe added.
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"In the meantime, we are asking the public to be patient and wait until the facts of the case are confirmed before making judgments about the incident," she said.
If you or someone you know need mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
