The judicial investigation into the death of a filmmaker, killed on the set of the western “Rust” by a revolver handled by actor Alec Baldwin, “is coming to an end”, declared the sheriff supervising the investigations. The police also released documents related to the tragedy, including a video.
According to Adan Mendoza, the sheriff of Santa Fe County (New Mexico) where the tragedy took place on October 21, it is now only a matter of “weeks” for the investigation to be completed.
Investigators are awaiting in particular the ballistic report from the FBI, the federal police responsible for analyzing the fatal bullet and the revolver that fired it, as well as all the conclusions of the autopsy, he explained to ABC television.
Videos made public
Sheriff Mendoza made this announcement as his services have just made public the numerous elements collected by the police over the past six months, including videos, photos and more than 200 pages of depositions.
Among these documents is in particular a video showing Alec Baldwin rehearsing the scene during which the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was hit.
Alec Baldwin in shock
On the images, we see the actor in cowboy clothes, practicing to draw a revolver which he points in the direction of the camera, but not the moment when the fatal blow leaves. Another video shows Alec Baldwin shortly following the tragedy, visibly in shock when the police called to the scene come to meet him.
Alec Baldwin has always said he was assured his gun was harmless and claims he never pulled the trigger when the fatal shot was fired.
>> Read also: The armorer in the movie starring Alec Baldwin hadn’t actually checked the gun
Criminal proceedings not excluded
In particular, the police are looking to find out how live ammunition might have been found on the set, which is in theory strictly prohibited, precisely to avoid accidents. This is “one of the key questions” of the investigation, Sheriff Mendoza said Tuesday, adding that “no one came to us to admit to having introduced ammunition on the set”.
No arrests have been made in this case but criminal proceedings are not excluded in the event that responsibilities are established. An administrative investigation conducted in parallel by the authorities of New Mexico has highlighted numerous breaches of safety rules on the set of “Rust”.
>> Read also: Alec Baldwin accused of ‘playing Russian roulette’ in fatal shooting
Obvious indifference
That investigation concluded last week that the film’s producers, including Alec Baldwin, “showed a clear disregard for the risks associated with firearms” and thus neglected “crew safety”. Consequently, the authorities imposed on the producers a civil fine of 136,793 dollars, the maximum amount provided for by law.
Halyna Hutchins’ family has filed suit once morest Alec Baldwin and the film’s producers, and several other civil suits have also been filed.
ats / hkr
