Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the Rust armorer charged alongside Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter for the dying of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, “will be exonerated of wrongdoing,” her attorneys say.
On the heels of the fees being introduced on Thursday, her attorneys Jason Bowles and Todd J. Bullion launched an announcement on her behalf to Yahoo, saying “Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter. These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts. We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.”
Shortly earlier than, New Mexico prosecutors introduced Gutierrez-Reed, who was in control of the weapons on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set exterior Santa Fe, and Baldwin, who had the gun when it went off, each shall be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter associated to the October 21, 2021 incident. The expenses shall be formally filed by New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies earlier than the tip of the month.
Assistant director David Halls, who was reportedly the go-between, taking the gun from Gutierrez-Reed and handing it to Baldwin, agreed to plead responsible to negligent use of a lethal weapon. The phrases embrace a suspended sentence and 6 months of probation.
“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,” Carmack-Altwies stated in an announcement. “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
Carmack-Altwies stated that Gutierrez-Reed and Baldwin shall be “charged in the alternative” with the 2 counts of manslaughter, that means a jury will determine not provided that they’re responsible, however underneath which definition of involuntary manslaughter they’re responsible. It’s defined right here within the assertion:
The first cost could be referred to easily as involuntary manslaughter. For this cost to be proved there have to be underlying negligence. Under New Mexico legislation, involuntary manslaughter is a fourth-degree felony and is punishable by as much as 18 months in jail and a $5,000 nice. This cost additionally contains the misdemeanor cost of negligent use of a firearm, which might probably merge as a matter of legislation.
The different cost is involuntary manslaughter within the fee of a lawful act. This cost requires proof that there was greater than easy negligence concerned in a dying. This can be a fourth-degree felony punishable by as much as 18 months in jail and as much as a $5,000 nice. This cost features a firearm enhancement, or added necessary penalty, as a result of a firearm was concerned. The firearm enhancement makes the crime punishable by a compulsory 5 years in jail.
Andrea Reeb, the particular prosecutor appointed by the D.A. to the case, added that, “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. 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.”
Hutchins was killed whereas Baldwin rehearsed in a church set with a .45 Colt revolver. He has stated that Hutchins instructed him to apply with the gun as she arrange the shot. He claimed he was beforehand instructed by Halls that it was a “cold” gun with no stay rounds. He stated he pulled again the hammer, not taking pictures it, and when he let go, the gun went off. The gun occurred to be loaded with stay ammunition as an alternative of dummy rounds or blanks, that are used on units. The stay spherical struck Hutchins, exited her physique, after which hit director Joel Souza. Hutchins died after being airlifted to the hospital. Souza, who was not critically injured, recovered. (No expenses shall be filed within the taking pictures of Souza, the district attorney’s workplace stated.)
Gutierrez-Reed, simply 24 on the time of the deadly accident, is the daughter of longtime Hollywood armorer Thell Reed. She’s stated she had “no idea where the live rounds came from,” pointing a finger on the ammunition provider, Seth Kenney and his firm PDQ Arm & Prop, whom she filed a lawsuit in opposition to final 12 months. (Kenney has stated he was positive his firm did not ship stay rounds to the set.)
Gutierrez-Reed, whose lack of expertise has been in query, stated the low-budget movie, for which Baldwin was additionally a producer, was “unsafe,” however not due to her. She stated she “fought for training, days to maintain weapons, and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department.” She slammed Baldwin, saying he knew to “never point a firearm at crew members under any circumstances. Yet he did point the gun at Halyna before the fatal incident against all rules and common sense.” She additionally stated he and others on the set “had an obligation and accountability to name [her] in for inspection of the gun and security instruction earlier than any gun scene was performed.” But she “was not referred to as into the church earlier than the impromptu gun scene rehearsal and he or she ought to have been.”
Gutierrez-Reed also said she was “employed on two positions on this movie” — as an armorer and a prop assistant — making it “extraordinarily tough to deal with her job as an armorer.”
Baldwin, who previously said he didn’t expect to be charged amid his own private investigation findings, hasn’t commented directly on the charges. But his attorney Luke Nikas said in a statement on Thursday: “This determination distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic dying and represents a horrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no cause to consider there was a stay bullet within the gun — or wherever on the film set. He relied on the professionals with whom he labored, who assured him the gun did not have stay rounds. We will struggle these expenses, and we are going to win.”
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