Alec Baldwin may still face charges for cinematographer’s death while filming Rust

Alec Baldwin may face charges of shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, sheriffs confirmed Wednesday morning at a news conference in Santa Fe, where they revealed another 500 rounds of ammunition were recovered, including some live bullets. , from the film set

Baldwin, 63, is still cooperating with authorities and is being interviewed along with Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, and Dave Halls. It was the three people who wielded the gun that fired a real bullet on last Thursday in the direction of Hutchins and director Joel Souza.

At Wednesday’s press conference, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adam Mendoza said all three could face charges and are still being interviewed. “We are going to continue interviewing to obtain the facts … he is an active part of this investigation that we are still investigating … no one has been ruled out,” Mendoza said.

District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said, “All options are on the table right now.”

Mendoza revealed that the weapon Baldwin fired was Pietta, a 45 long-barrel revolver, and that it was not the only shot he fired, but it is unclear whether the others were lives or targets.

Cameras were not recording when the accident occurred, the officer said.

There were sixteen people on stage at the church where the scene was being filmed when the accident that claimed the life of the cinematographer happened. The bullet that killed Hutchins was taken from Souza’s shoulder and is a lead bullet. They will take her to the FBI lab in Quantico for a thorough examination, they said at the news conference.

Accused as an actor and producer

The authorities did not arrest anyone, but prosecutors do not rule out filing criminal charges against those involved in this tragedy that shook the set of the low-budget western “Rust” in New Mexico last Thursday.

Legal experts told AFP that, theoretically, prosecutors can explore two avenues to accuse Baldwin: as the actor who pulled the trigger during a rehearsal or as the producer of the film.

Although all agree that it is unlikely that Baldwin will be criminally charged with having fired the weapon he received from assistant director Dave Halls, who called him “cold pistol”, a term used in film jargon to affirm that it is a weapon. it is safe.

“Reasonably, it appears that he believed it was not a loaded gun,” said University of Southern California law professor Gregory Keating.

For the crime of involuntary manslaughter to be considered, there must be reckless behavior. “Alec Baldwin doesn’t seem to have much responsibility … the further away he is from the person in charge of the weapon, the less likely it is,” criminal defense attorney Richard Kaplan of the Kaplan Marino law firm told AFP.

Baldwin said in a statement that he is “cooperating fully with the police investigation to learn how this tragedy occurred.”

“Rust” has 12 credited producers and executive producers, one of whom is Baldwin.

That title has a range of meanings in Hollywood, from the person with the highest authority on the set to someone who helps raise money early in a movie’s production. (I)