ACTOR ALEC BALDWIN has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter over fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a film set in 2021.
Baldwin was charged in January over the death of Halyna Hutchins during filming a US western film called “Rust” in New Mexico. The actor was holding a gun intended for use in the film but it discharged.
Hutchins died and director Joel Souza was also wounded.
Baldwin has refuted that he had any responsibility, saying he did not pull the trigger on the gun, which shouldn’t have been loaded with live ammunition.
Last April, an initial set of manslaughter charges were dropped against Baldwin after prosecutors found “new facts” that required “further investigation and forensic analysis”.
He now faces two alternative counts of involuntary manslaughter, one for “negligent use of a firearm” or one for acting “without due caution or circumspection”. The jury may decide to convict him on one or the other, or neither, but cannot find him guilty of both.
If convicted, Baldwin could be jailed for up to 18 months.
The actor was due to appear virtually at a state district court in Santa Fe, New Mexico for arraignment yesterday but his lawyers submitted a waiver and his not guilty plea on his behalf.
Actors’ union SAG-AFTRA said the charges were based on “an incorrect assessment of the actual duties of an actor”.
“An actor’s job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert,” the union said.
“Firearms are provided for use on set under the guidance of multiple expert professionals directly responsible for the safe and accurate operation of that firearm.”
In addition to starring in the film, Baldwin was also a producer, but he is being charged only in his role as an actor.
The film’s armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is due to go on trial this month on charges of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence.
Safety coordinator and assistant director Dave Halls, who handed Baldwin the loaded gun, agreed to a plea deal and was sentenced to six months’ probation.
An FBI report found that the gun involved in the incident could go off without pulling the trigger if force was applied to an uncocked hammer.
However, the only way the testers could get the gun to fire without pulling the trigger was by striking it with a mallet while the hammer was down and resting on the cartridge.
Additional reporting by AFP and Press Association
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