Actor Alec Baldwin will be arraigned on Thursday in New Mexico after he was charged again with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the film “Rust,” officials said on Tuesday.
The Incident
The unfortunate event occurred on the set of the film ‘Rust’ in 2021, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot. Alec Baldwin, who was both acting in and co-producing the film, was reportedly holding the gun that fired the fatal shot.
The Charges on Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter. These charges were brought forward nearly a year after similar charges were dropped. The prosecutor’s office had stated at the time that they would continue investigating the matter and could refile charges.
Alec Baldwin’s Defense
Baldwin has consistently maintained that he did not pull the trigger of the gun. He has expressed his belief that the weapon was safe and loaded with blanks. Baldwin’s defense has described the situation as a “terrible tragedy” that “has been turned into this misguided prosecution.
The movie’s director, Joel Souza, was struck and wounded in the shoulder by the same bullet that killed Hutchins during production of the film on a set outside Santa Fe.
According to a police report, David Halls, the assistant director who handed the gun to Mr. Baldwin, told the actor the weapon was “cold,” an industry term meaning it did not contain live ammunition or even blank rounds. Mr. Halls told police he was unaware the gun was loaded.
Last year as part of a plea agreement Mr. Halls was sentenced to a six-month suspended sentence with unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, 24 hours of community service, and a firearms safety class on a charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.
The Arraignment
The arraignment is set to take place on February 1. This will be a significant event in the ongoing legal proceedings related to the ‘Rust’ film set tragedy. Prosecutors previously dismissed charges against Mr. Baldwin based on evidence the hammer of the revolver might have been modified, allowing it to fire without the trigger being pulled.
As this story unfolds, it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of safety on film sets. Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Halyna Hutchins during this difficult time.
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