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Script Supervisor Sues Baldwin Over Rust Shootings

By Oreoritse Tariemi
18 November 2021   |   12:13 pm
on US actor Alec Baldwin has been accused of playing  Russian roulette with safety in the minutes leading up to the Rust shooting of cinematographer Hutchins in a new lawsuit. The new lawsuit clams US actor Alec Baldwin "chose to play Russian roulette" with safety. This suit is the second to be filed in a…

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US actor Alec Baldwin has been accused of playing  Russian roulette with safety in the minutes leading up to the Rust shooting of cinematographer Hutchins in a new lawsuit.

The new lawsuit clams US actor Alec Baldwin “chose to play Russian roulette” with safety.

This suit is the second to be filed in a week over the killing of Halyna Hutchins during rehearsals for low-budget Western “Rust” in New Mexico last month.

The suit filed by Script supervisor Mamie Mitchell — who made an emotional 911 call moments after the accident accusses Baldwin and his fellow producers of assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and deliberate infliction of harm.

“The events that led to the shooting by Mr. Baldwin of a loaded gun do not constitute simple negligence,” Mitchell’s attorney Gloria Allred told reporters in Los Angeles.

“Instead, in our opinion, Mr. Baldwin chose to play Russian roulette when he fired a gun without checking and without having the armorer do so in his presence.

“His behavior and that of the producers on ‘Rust’ was reckless.”

The suit also names Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and assistant director Dave Halls as defendants.

Cinematographer Hutchins, 42, was shot and killed as Baldwin rehearsed a scene on the Rust set in which he fires a gun at the camera.

The Emmy-winner was handed the firearm by Halls, who declared it “cold,” however Halls told investigators he had not checked the gun.

The live bullet passed through Hutchins and hit director Joel Souza in the shoulder.

“Mr. Baldwin, and industry veterans knew that the gun in question should never have been given to him by the assistant director. And then he could not rely upon any statement by the assistant director as to whether or not the gun was safe to use,” said Allred.

“Industry practice is for the armorer to demonstrate the gun is safe and for that person to hand it directly to the actor,” she said.

“Mr. Baldwin knew that this was the norm and that it was not followed. And he did not check the gun himself.”

Last week Baldwin and other have been sued for negligence by chief lighting technician Serge Svetnoy sued Baldwin.

Experts have agreed that a rash of civil legal action is expected in connection with the tragedy.

Adan Mendoza, sheriff of Santa Fe County, where the Rust set was located spoke of “complacency” on the set.

Mendoza revealed that his officers seized more than 500 rounds of ammunition from the set, which they believed to be a mix of blanks, dummy rounds and some suspected live ammunition.

District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has also refused to rule out criminal charges over the incident, which has sparked calls for the banning of functional weapons on Hollywood sets.

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