Alec Baldwin will be charged over death of Halyna Hutchins on Rust set
Actor Alec Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust, the New Mexico District Attorney’s office has said.
The Beetlejuice actor was pointing a gun at the camera when it went off, killing Halyna and wounding director Joel Souza.
Both Baldwin and the film’s armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over the death of Ms Hutchins on the film’s Santa Fe County set.
Assistant director David Halls has signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, the DA’s office said.
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No charges will be filed specific to the non-fatal shooting of Rust director Joel Souza.
“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,” Mary Carmack-Altwies said.
“On my watch, no-one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
Baldwin's lawyer described the decision to charge his client as 'a terrible miscarriage of justice'.
At the time, Baldwin claimed that the gun went off despite him not pressing the trigger.
However, a lawsuit was filed against him and producers, with Ms Hutchins' family claiming that the team working on the film 'cut corners' and 'chose to hire the cheapest crew available'.
It was also alleged that they hired an 'wholly unqualified armorer', which which they claimed 'led to the death of Halyna Hutchins'.
Ms Hutchins' family claimed that Baldwin also turned down training for the kind of move that he was attempting at Bonanza Creek Ranch that day.
An undisclosed settlement was agreed, with filming on the movie set to continue this year, and Ms Hutchins' husband Matthew to act as an executive producer and receive a portion of the profits.
"We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed," Mr Hutchins said in a statement.
"The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023.
"I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin).
"All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work," he continued.
Alec Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas also issued a statement following the settlement, writing: "Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna’s son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation."
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Dominic Smithers