Alec Baldwin sues to ‘clear his name’ in movie set murder

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Saying he wants his name cleared, Alec Baldwin on Friday sued people involved in handling and supplying the loaded gun he was using when she shot, killing the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a filming accident in 2021 in New Mexico.

Baldwin filed a counter complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging negligence against some of those sued by a screenplay supervisor, Mamie Mitchell. Among other things, he asks for a share of any damages Mitchell might get from people named Baldwin and asks them to pay the damages assessed against him.

Mitchell stood behind Hutchins, who died shortly after being injured while setting up a scene for the western film “Rust” at a film ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021.

Mitchell sued Baldwin, who was the film’s producer, the production company and many others involved for assault and negligence.

In his counterclaim, Baldwin says that while working on camera angles with Hutchins during rehearsal of a scene, he pointed the gun in his direction and fired back and released the hammer of the gun, which s is unloaded.

The gunshot fatally wounded Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza in the shoulder.

The actor said neither he nor Hutchins knew the gun contained live ammunition.

“This tragedy occurred on a film set – not a shooting range, not a battlefield, not a place where even a remote possibility should exist that a weapon contained live ammunition,” the lawsuit said.

Baldwin maintained that he was told the gun was safe and that he did not pull the trigger. But a recent FBI forensic report found the gun could not have fired unless the trigger was pulled.

“More than anyone else on this set, Baldwin was wrongfully considered the perpetrator of this tragedy. By these counterclaims, Baldwin seeks to clear his name,” the actor’s lawsuit reads.

Baldwin’s counterclaim says he lost opportunities and was fired because of the shooting and that he “also suffered physically and emotionally from the grief caused by these events.”

The New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office determined the shooting was an accident. However, prosecutors are reviewing the shooting to determine if criminal charges should be filed.

In April, the New Mexico Office of Occupational Health and Safety fined Rust Movie Productions up to $137,000 and distributed a scathing account of safety violations, including testimonials that the production officials took little to no action to remedy two misfires on set. the fatal shooting.

The company disputes the fine.

Baldwin’s lawsuit alleges the negligence of gunsmith Hannah Guttierez-Reed; props man Sarah Zachry; first assistant director and security coordinator David Halls, who handed the gun to Baldwin; ammunition supplier Seth Kenney and his company, PDQ Arm & Prop, who also supplied support weapons for production.

All have previously denied responsibility for the fatal shooting.

In October, the Hutchins family announcement they had agreed to settle another lawsuit against the actor and the film’s producers, and the producers said they intended to restart the project in January.

Ms Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer Jason Bowles said he was reviewing Baldwin’s case. Lawyers for the other defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to The New York Times. reported.

A phone message left by The Associated Press seeking comment from Bowles was not immediately returned Friday night.

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