Alec Baldwin And ‘Rust’ Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed To Face Involuntary Manslaughter Charges After The Killing Of Halyna Hutchins
John F. Trent
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The First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced her office will charge both Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed with involuntary manslaughter after the killing of Halyna Hutchins.
Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) debriefs the IMF via Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), Paramount Pictures
A press release published to the First Judicial District Attorney’s Facebook page stated, “New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced on Thursday that, in keeping with her commitment to pursue justice for all victims and to hold everyone accountable under the law, her office before the end of the month will file criminal charges in the Rust film-set shooting.”
It continued, “Rust actor and producer Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the film’s Santa Fe County set in 2021.”
Alec Baldwin as Father Hector McGrath in Pixie (2021), Paramount Pictures
The press release also revealed that Rust’s Assistant Director David Halls “signed a plea greement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon. The terms include a suspended sentence and six months of probation.”
It also detailed that there won’t be any charges filed “specific to the non-fatal shooting of Rust director Joel Souza.”
Alec Baldwin at the Cannes Film Festival Photo Credit: Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Carmack-Altwies stated, “After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the Rust film crew.”
She added, “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
Alec Baldwin speaking at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con International, for “The Boss Baby”, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The press release went on to detail, “Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be ‘charged in the alternative’ with the two counts of manslaughter, meaning that a jury would decide not simply if they were guilty, but under which definition of involuntary manslaughter they were guilty.”
It goes on to explain the two charges of involuntary manslaughter, “The first charge can be referred to simply as involuntary manslaughter. For this charge to be proved there must be underlying negligence. Under New Mexico law, involuntary manslaughter is a fourth-degree felony and is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine. This charge also includes the misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a firearm, which would likely merge as a matter of law.”
“The other charge is involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act,” it explains. “This charge requires proof that there was more than simple negligence involved in a death. This is also a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to 18 months in jail and up to a $5000 fine. This charge includes a firearm enhancement, or added mandatory penalty, because a firearm was involved. The firearm enhancement makes the crime punishable by a mandatory five years in jail.”
Alec Baldwin as Father Hector McGrath in Pixie (2021), Paramount Pictures
Andrea Reeb, a special prosecutor appointed to the case by Carmack-Altwies stated, “If any one of these three people—Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls—had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple.”
She added, “The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the Rust film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.”
Alec Baldwin as Alan Hunley in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT, from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Official charges are expected to be filed by the end of this month. After the charges are filed, both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be summoned to make a “first appearance” or take part in an arraignment hearing.
The press release notes this “first appearance” can be done virtually and they can have it waived. Following the first appearance, there will be a preliminary hearing. During this hearing a the District Attorney and special prosecutor will present their case and the judge, taking on the role of the jury, will determine whether there is probable cause and if the case will move to a trial.
Finally, the press release stated, “Once charges are filed, more detailed paperwork will be available online through the court that details the evidence the DA and the special prosecutor cite. An announcement will be made to the public when the charges have formally been filed.”
Actor Alec Baldwin delivers remarks at 2014 Arts Advocacy Day. Photo Credit: rep.louiseslaughter, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Baldwin previously told ABC News that he didn’t pull the trigger albeit he did indicate he cocked the gun.
While explaining what happened, Baldwin said, “So I take the gun and I start to cock the gun. I’m not going to pull the trigger. I said, ‘Do you see this?’ She says, “Well, just cheat it down and tilt it down a little bit like that.’ And I cock the gun and I go, ‘Can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that?’ And she says…and I let go of the hammer of the gun and the gun goes off. I let go of the hammer of the gun and the gun goes off.”
Baldwin clarified, “That was the moment the gun went off. That was the moment the gun went off.”
He then declared he never pulled the trigger, “Well, the trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger.”Baldwin then reiterated, “No, no, no, no. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never.”
“That was the training that I had. You don’t point a gun at somebody and pull the trigger,” he added.
He then detailed the training he received, “On day one of my instruction in this business people said to me, ‘Never take a gun and go click click click click because even though it’s incremental you damage the firing pin on the gun. Don’t do that.’”
Alec Baldwin via ABC News YouTube
RELATED: Alec Baldwin Says He Feels No Guilt Following Shooting And Killing Of Halyna Hutchins
However, as the segment continued his story slightly changes as he went on to claim he didn’t cock the gun. He told Stephanopoulos that he pulled, “the hammer as far back as I could without cocking the actual…”
Stephanopoulos says, “And you are holding on to the hammer?”
To which Baldwin replies, “I’m holding. I’m just showing her. I go, ‘How about that? Does that work? You see that?’ Do you see that? Do you see that?’ She goes, ‘Yeah that’s good.’ I let go of the hammer. Bang. The gun goes off.”
Alec Baldwin via ABC News YouTube
He would later tell Stephanopoulos that he’s not responsible for the killing of Hutchins, “People said to me. I mean I got countless people online saying, ‘You idiot. You never point a gun at someone.’ Well, unless you are told it’s empty and it is the director of photography who is instructing you on the angle of a shot we are going to do.”
“And she and I had this thing in common where we both thought it was empty and it wasn’t. And that’s not her responsibility. That’s not my responsibility. Whose responsibility remains to be seen,” he declared.
He also claimed he felt no guilt telling Stephanopoulos, “No. Someone is responsible for what happened and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me.”
.@GStephanopoulos: “Do you feel guilt?”
Alec Baldwin: “No. Someone is responsible for what happened and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me.”
READ MORE: https://t.co/zYugqKhIVW #BaldwinABC pic.twitter.com/97F9wOYYTT
— ABC News (@ABC) December 3, 2021
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