South Pasadena woman fatally shot by officers during wellness check

South Pasadena police officers fatally shot a woman Thursday afternoon after she reportedly pointed a pellet gun at them, according to officials.

The 49-year-old woman, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a hospital, said Lt. Joe Mendoza of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

At least three officers came to her apartment in the 1100 block of Fremont Avenue in response to her landlord’s request for a wellness check, Mendoza said.

The woman began having a seizure while the officers and a mental health clinician were talking with her, he said. Paramedics were called to the scene and tried to persuade her to seek medical help.

During the conversation, the woman — described by officers as “uncooperative” — grabbed what they thought was a semiautomatic handgun and pointed it at them, Mendoza said.

Two officers fired at her, hitting her at least once in the torso, Mendoza said.

The officers retrieved the weapon after the shooting and determined it was a BB gun that resembled a pistol, Mendoza said.

The identities of the officers have not be released to the public. An investigation is ongoing.

A similar incident involving South Pasadena police occurred in June 2017, when 41-year-old Marco Cardoza allegedly pointed what appeared to be a handgun at officers who were attempting to serve a warrant at his Burbank home. Multiple officers fired their weapons at Cardoza, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives later learned that the man’s pistol was a replica.

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Twitter: @LauraMNewberry