Alec Baldwin is being sued again for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the western “Rust” in 2021.
Alec Baldwin on the “Rust” set immediately following the shooting of Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza in New Mexico. (Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office/TNS)
In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, Hutchins’ parents and sister alleged battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence against Baldwin and other producers and members of the production.
“We have filed a lawsuit today in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Alec Baldwin, producers of ‘Rust,’ and other defendants who may have been responsible for the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins,” said attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing the family. “We want accountability and justice for them.”
During a news conference at her Los Angeles office, Allred and co-counsel John Carpenter of CZ Law shared pictures and a video message from the family members, who they said remain in Hutchins’ native country of Ukraine.
The lawsuit is the second from Hutchins’ family members; her husband and son previously sued Baldwin and the film’s production in New Mexico. That lawsuit was settled earlier this year.
As part of that deal, the beleaguered western would be completed with Matthew Hutchins serving as an executive producer.
The lawsuit is the latest in a string of civil and criminal litigation Baldwin faces as a result of his accidental shooting of Hutchins. New Mexico prosecutors charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter last month.
They alleged the actor didn’t attend sufficient weapons training and didnt follow industry protocols to ensure a prop gun was safe before he used it. Baldwin and his attorney have denied the claims, saying others were responsible for the tragedy, and that he will fight the charges.
The New Mexico prosecutors also charged armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed with involuntary manslaughter. If convicted, she and Baldwin could face a mandatory five-year prison sentence.
Assistant director David Halls pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and will be a witness in any trial.
Hutchins was a rising star cinematographer when she took on the “Rust” job. The fatal shooting happened on Oct. 21, 2021, when Baldwin was rehearsing a scene for the film in a small church on the Bonanza Creek movie ranch, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The actor was drawing a replica Colt .45 revolver across his body and pointing it at the camera, which he has said Hutchins instructed him to do. He has also said that he believed the gun was safe to use and that he didn’t pull the trigger.
Source: americanmilitarynews.com
