New Mexico prosecutors said last week that Alec Baldwin was knowingly deceptive about the 2021 on-set shooting that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Kari Morrisey and Jason Lewis characterized Baldwin’s on-set behavior as reckless and arrogant and also accused the actor of being manipulative after Hutchins’ shooting death. Their comments were in response to Baldwin’s motion to have the involuntary manslaughter case against him dismissed, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
In the filing made public on Monday, Morrisey claimed Baldwin, 66, screamed and cursed at himself and “Rust” staff — harboring an environment that led to critical security lapses on set.
READ: Alec Baldwin Recharged With Involuntary Manslaughter in Deadly ‘Rust’ Shooting
“To watch Mr. Baldwin’s conduct on the set of ‘Rust’ is to witness a man who has absolutely no control of his own emotions and absolutely no concern for how his conduct affects those around him. Witnesses have testified that it was this exact conduct that contributed to safety compromises on set,” she wrote, according to Variety.
Baldwin’s lawyers told prosecutors that Baldwin was a creative director for “Rust” and he did not control on-set operations. His attorneys also claimed Baldwin’s gun was modified to make it easier to fire without the trigger being pulled, Variety reported.
Though Baldwin told the media he did not pull the trigger, Morrisey alleged that he did not make those claims to investigators. Prosecutors have accused the actor of blaming Hutchins for her own death.
Baldwin has claimed he was showing how he would pull a gun from the holster when the weapon fired in a mock church pew at Bonanza Creek Ranch — leading to a single bullet traveling through Souza’s shoulder which then struck Hutchins.
Baldwin told officers that he believed the gun was cold when he was rehearsing a cross draw. However, the FBI’s investigation concluded that it could not have fired without someone pulling the trigger.
Though Baldwin was originally charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023, prosecutors dropped the charges in April 2023. At the time, prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis said they needed additional time to investigate new information presented to them, and that their review would not be completed before Baldwin’s preliminary hearing.
The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled at a later date. Prosecutors re-charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in January.
In March, “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering. Reed said that weapons supplier Seth Kenney, not her, was responsible for mixing live and dummy rounds.
Last week, a judge denied Gutierrez-Reed’s request for a new trial. Her sentencing is scheduled for April 15.
Baldwin’s trial is set to begin in July.
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[Feature Photo: Alec Baldwin/AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File and Halyna Hutchins/Instagram]
