According to his attorneys, criminal charges have been withdrawn against Alec Baldwin in connection with a fatal shooting on set.
The Emmy-winning actor was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the shooting that occurred in New Mexico while filming Rust.
In October 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed by a real bullet discharged from a prop gun used by Baldwin.
This occurs less than two weeks before a trial was scheduled to commence.
Luke Nikas, Alec Baldwin’s attorney, told the BBC, “We are delighted with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a thorough investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic accident.”
Mr. Baldwin was practising firing the pistol on set at a ranch near Santa Fe when it discharged, killing 42-year-old Hutchins of Ukrainian descent and injuring director Joel Souza.
An FBI report concluded that the gun could not have been discharged without the actor pulling the trigger, despite the actor’s denial that he was responsible.
On May 3, he was scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armourer, is also charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Uncertain is whether prosecutors will also dismiss the charges against her.
A lawyer for Ms. Gutierrez-Reed told AP News that she “fully expects Hannah to be exonerated at the conclusion of this procedure.”
According to the LA Times, prosecutors recently learned that the.45 Colt revolver used in the shooting had been modified with a new trigger, which could have increased the likelihood of a malfunction.
The prosecution charged 65-year-old Mr. Baldwin with “reckless” disregard for the protection of his colleagues.
Mr. Nikas, the attorney for the protagonist of The Hunt for Red October, referred to the initial decision to charge his client as a “horrendous miscarriage of justice.”
Mr. Nikas stated, “Mr. Baldwin had no reason to suppose there was a live bullet in the gun or anywhere else on the film set.”
“He relied on the assurances of the specialists with whom he worked that the gun did not contain live ammunition.”
Prosecutors would have had to persuade a jury that he acted with “criminal negligence” for him to be found guilty.
He could have faced up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
The initial addition of a firearm enhancement allegation by the district attorney of Santa Fe could have added five years to the defendant’s sentence.
However, it was dismissed after prosecutors determined that the enhancement law was not in effect during the incident.
The office of the district attorney in Santa Fe directed the BBC to the office of the special prosecutor in charge of the case. The special prosecutor did not respond promptly to questions.
The decision to withdraw the charges was made on the same day that filming for Rust resumed, 18 months after production began.
Melina Spadone, an attorney for Rust Movie Productions, stated that new regulations on the set “will prohibit the use of functional weapons and all types of ammunition.”
On set, live ammunition has always been prohibited.
Variety magazine reports that Mr. Baldwin is presently filming Rust in Montana.
Matthew, the widower of Hutchins, will serve as an executive producer. In October of last year, Baldwin settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by her family.
Baldwin’s Rust Movie productions announced in February that the scene that was being rehearsed when Hutchins was killed has been rewritten.
