Alec Baldwin ignored gun training request before firing

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While Alec Baldwin has described himself as a seasoned gun safety veteran on film sets, a lawsuit filed Wednesday by the gunsmith for the film “Rust” said he ignored his request to undergo firearms training for the “cross-draw” movement that he was. used when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot.

This claim suggests that Baldwin may not have been as conscientious as he claimed when producing and starring in the western, according to Insider. The allegation is part of the lawsuit brought by Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, and targets the company that supplied the ammunition used on the set. He alleges that the company mixed live ammunition with dummy bullets that Gutierrez-Reed needed to load Baldwin’s weapon.

While the trial does not name Baldwin as a defendant, it paints a picture of lax adherence to gun safety protocols on set. Gutierrez-Reed also appeared to blame Baldwin for not attending a “cross-draw training” session and for the way he handled the weapon, Insider reported. The lawsuit said Gutierrez-Reed asked Baldwin to schedule training for October 15, less than a week before the fatal October 21 shooting, but she never heard back from him.

Moments before the fatal shooting, Baldwin was rehearsing a scene with Hutchins and “Rust” director Joel Souza, practicing the “cross-draw” with the Colt revolver and pointing it at the Hutchins director, according to reports. The gunshot exploded, with a live bullet killing Hutchins and injuring Souza. Baldwin controversially claimed in a TV interview in December that he did not pull the trigger.

In addition to these new allegations coming up in the gunsmith’s trial, Baldwin is under pressure for other reasons related to the Hutchins death investigation.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department made the somewhat unusual move Thursday to issue a statement saying Baldwin still had not returned his cell phone – despite claims by the actor and his lawyers he was ready to comply with their December search warrant for the iPhone. .

“Any suggestion that I do not comply with requests or orders or requests or search warrants for my phone, that’s bullshit, that’s a lie,” Baldwin said in an Instagram video he took. published this weekend, the Daily Beast reported.

Baldwin was responding to reports from the New York Post and other media that he had not turned over his phone for forensic examination almost a month after investigators issued their search warrant. In his video, Baldwin said he wanted the police to work with his lawyers and clarify what they were looking for before they started digging into his phone, the Daily Beast added.

“They can’t just go through your phone and take your pictures, or your love letters to your wife, or whatever,” Baldwin said on Saturday.

“This is a process where one state requests another state,” Baldwin also explained of New Mexico’s mandate. “It’s a process that takes time, they have to spell out what they want. We’re going to be a thousand percent compliant with all of that.

But the fact that New Mexico officials released the statement indicates their belief that the “process” isn’t the only reason for the delay in getting Baldwin’s phone. The Daily Beast said the statement is “a clear attempt by authorities to get Baldwin to comply.”

Baldwin’s attorney, Aaron Dyer, told USA Today on Thursday that he has made a deal with the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney to pass the phone “this week.” He entrusted his team with finalizing the logistics with the New York authorities.

Last week, legal experts offered the New York Post theories as to why Baldwin kept his phone. He may be concerned about the possibility of “incriminating” evidence over the phone – including deleted texts or photos that could hold him in criminal contempt. Or, as he said, he may just want to keep his private conversations out of public view.

“There could be evidence against the phone, or it could be for reasons of confidentiality,” Kevin Kearon, a former Nassau County district attorney, told The Post.

“If he deleted any text messages or call recordings, he would expose himself to the possibility of criminal contempt,” said Kearon, who now practices in private practice. “Or if there are personal messages, for example, between him and his wife, it’s not shocking that he doesn’t want them to fall into the public domain.”

According to court documents, police want to perform a “forensic download” of Baldwin’s iPhone that will include text messages, recent call lists, images, videos, calls or other information related to the production of the film.

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