Involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin dropped

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Apr 2023 08:24

Previously, award-winning actor Alec Baldwin was charged with two counts of manslaughter in the fatal shooting accident that killed a cinematographer on set in 2021, and the charges were dropped today.

In this image from a video released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, Alec Baldwin speaks with investigators following a fatal shooting on a movie set in Santa Fe, N.M. on April 27, 2022. (AP)

Involuntary manslaughter charges against Emmy-award-winning actor Alec Baldwin have been dropped according to the celebrity's representation.

In 2021, the chief of lighting on the film set of Rust filed a lawsuit against Alec Baldwin over the accidental yet fatal shooting, using a supposed prop gun, of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in New Mexico which also injured the director, Joel Souza.

Baldwin's two counts of involuntary manslaughter charges were dropped, his lawyer Luke Nikas said, adding "We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident."

During the trial, Baldwin denied having pulled the trigger, which an FBI report noted that the prop gun would not have fired otherwise. Significantly, the prosecutors stated that they had recently been informed that the gun was fitted with a new trigger, a fact that made an accident more plausible.

"Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun - or anywhere on the movie set," said Nikas adding "He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds."

Armorer yet to be exonerated

Charges against the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, have yet to be dismissed, according to her attorneys. The 25-year-old is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Hutchins' death. Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer stated that they "fully expect at the end of this process that [Gutierrez-Reed] will also be exonerated."

Jason Bowles and Todd Bullion, the legal representatives of Gutierrez-Reed, said in a statement that "the new special prosecutor team has taken a very diligent and thorough approach to the entire investigation, which we welcome and have always welcomed."

Baldwin was allegedly spotted on set on Thursday when filming resumed at Yellowstone Ranch in Montana. According to sources, the film still required another 20 days of shooting before wrapping, noting that the scene in which Hutchins was fatally shot has been rewritten.

The Rust Movie Productions lawyer, Melina Spadone, explained that the use of real weapons alongside any form of ammunition will be prohibited adding that "live ammunition is - and always was - prohibited on set."