Legal woes. Alec Baldwin is being sued after he accidentally shot and killed his cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, with a loaded prop gun on the set of his upcoming movie, Rust, in October 2021.
Serge Svetnoy, the chief electrician on Rust, sued Baldwin, as well as armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, assistant director David Halls, and others for negligence due the tragedy, which also injured director Joel Souza. According to court documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight, Svetnoy claims that the defendants’ negligence caused him severe emotional distress after the incident. Svetnoy also alleged that the bullet that struck Hutchins and Souza almost hit him as well. He also claimed that he was the person who was by Hutchins’ side to keep her conscious after she was shot.
In the docs, Svetnoy explained that he included Baldwin in the lawsuit because the actor, who stars in and produces Rust, “owed a duty to the Plaintiff and other crew members and actors on the Rust set to handle the Colt Revolver provided to him by defendant Halls with reasonable care and diligence for the safety of Rust cast and crew.”
“This duty called for Defendant Baldwin to double-check the Colt Revolver with Halls upon being handled to ensure that it did not contain live ammunition,” the docs read. “This duty further called for him [Baldwin] to handle the Colt Revolver as if it was loaded and to refrain from pointing it at anyone.”
Svetnoy also claims that the scene Baldwin was rehearsing at the time of the indident “did not call” for him to “shoot the Colt Revolver.” He also alleged that Baldwin and other producers “attempted to save money by hiring an insufficient number of crew members to safely handle the props and firearms,” as well as declined declined requests to train with the weapons, failed to allow proper time for gunfire and failed to send safety bulletins. Svetnoy, who knew Hutchins for five years before her death, called the event “traumatic” and claimed that it’s something he “might never be able to get over.” He’s asking for a jury trial and damages, according to the docs.
In a Facebook post in October 2021, Svetnoy accused Gutierrez-Reed and the movie’s producers of “negligence and unprofessionalism.” He claimed that he was “standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Halyna during this fatal shot that took her life.” He wrote, “I was holding her in my arms while she was dying. Her blood was on my hands. I want to tell my opinion on why this has happened. I think I have the right to do it. It’s the fault of negligence and unprofessionalism.”
As for if Baldwin will be charged for Hutchins’ death, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza and Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said at a press conference on October 27, 2021, that “all options are still on the table.” He also noted that Baldwin, as well as armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and assistant director David Halls are the three main individuals the police have been communicating with.
“During the initial investigation, it was determined that actor/producer Alec Baldwin was the person that fired the weapon,” Mendoza said during the press conference. “We identified two other people who handled and or inspected the loaded firearm prior to Baldwin firing the weapon. These two individuals are armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and assistant director David Halls. All three individuals have been cooperative in the investigation and have provided statements.”
He continued, “During this process, we determined there were a limited amount of movie set staff present in the area where the actual incident took place, although there were approximately 100 people on set. Through the execution of search warrants, we have collected about 600 items of evidence. These include but are not limited to three firearms, approximately 500 rounds of ammunition and several pieces of clothing and possessions. We believe that we have in our possession the firearm that was fired by Mr. Baldwin.”
When it came to charges, however, Mendoza said it was “too early” to talk about who is liable for Hutchins’ death. “The investigation will continue and if the Sheriff’s Office determines during our investigation that a crime has occurred and probable cause exists, an arrest or arrests will be made and charges will be filed,” he said. Carmack-Altwies also noted that the investigation is ongoing. “I must emphasize that a complete and thorough investigation is critical to DA review,” she said. “We take the corroborated facts and evidence and connect it to New Mexico law. And we are not at that juncture yet. If the facts and evidence and law support charges, then I will initiate prosecution at that time.”
Source: Stylecaster.com
Be First to Comment