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Alec Baldwin had “no control of his own emotions” on “Rust” set where cinematographer was fatally shot, prosecutor says
Alec Baldwin had “no control” over his emotions on the set of a film where the cinematographer was shot dead, according to the prosecutor who has charged him with manslaughter. The Hollywood star was holding a Colt .45 during the preparation for a scene in the budget Western “Rust” when the gun went off, killing Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin, 66, is set to go on trial in New Mexico in July for involuntary manslaughter, a charge he denies.
In a court filing released Monday, prosecutor Kari Morrissey sketched the outlines of what the jury might hear, including how Baldwin’s allegedly unpredictable behavior contributed to the tragedy, and how he kept changing his story in its aftermath.
“Mr. Baldwin was frequently screaming and cursing at himself, at crew members or at no one and not for any particular reason,” Morrissey wrote.
“To watch Mr. Baldwin’s conduct on the set of ‘Rust’ is to witness a man who has absolutely no control of his own emotions and absolutely no concern for how his conduct affects those around him.
“Witnesses have testified that it was this exact conduct that contributed to safety compromises on set.”
The film’s young armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, who was responsible for loading the live round into the gun Baldwin used, was convicted last month of involuntary manslaughter after a two-week trial that heard how her lackadaisical approach to the job had led to a series of dangerous episodes.
Hannah Gutierrez, who faces up to 18 months in prison, is due to be sentenced next week. Her attorney, Jason Bowles, previously told CBS News he plans to appeal “a number of issues that occurred in the trial.”
Morrissey blamed both the 26-year-old armorer and the veteran actor for the shooting.
“The combination of Hannah Gutierrez’s negligence and inexperience and Alec Baldwin’s complete lack of concern for the safety of those around him would prove deadly,” Morrissey wrote.
Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican/Pool via Reuters
In her filing, Morrissey said Baldwin, whose high-powered legal team includes eight attorneys, has repeatedly contradicted himself about the shooting in official interviews and in media appearances.
This has included a lengthy sit-down with ABC journalist George Stephanopoulos, which she called a “shameless attempt to escape culpability,” and in which he claimed for the first time that he had never pulled the trigger.
“Every time Mr. Baldwin spoke, a different version of events emerged from his mouth, and his later statements contradicted his previous statements.”
An FBI investigation found that the gun could not have fired if the trigger had not been pulled, evidence that is expected to be presented at trial.
The October 2021 tragedy sent shockwaves through Hollywood and led to calls for a complete ban on the use of weapons on movie sets.
Industry insiders, however, insisted that rules were already in place to prevent such incidents, and that those working on “Rust” had simply not followed them.
Baldwin is on bail awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces up to 18 months in prison.
The filming of “Rust” concluded last year in the state of Montana, with Hutchins’ widower joining the crew as a producer.
No release date has yet been announced.
Last month, Gloria Allred and John Carpenter, attorneys for Hutchins’ parents and sister, told CBS News that Hutchins’ family was “satisfied” that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty.
“We look forward to the justice system continuing to make sure that everyone else who is responsible for Halyna’s death is required to face the legal consequences for their actions,” they said.
Floodwaters pushed by the remnants of Hurricane Helene left North Carolina’s largest mountain city largely cut off Saturday by damaged roads and a lack of power and cellphone service, part of a swath of destruction across southern Appalachia that left an unknown number dead and countless worried relatives unable to reach loved ones.
In North Carolina alone, more than 400 roads remained closed on Saturday as floodwaters began to recede and reveal the extent of damage. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said that supplies were being airlifted to that part of the state. Cooper said two people died in his state, Helene killed at least 52 people across multiple states.
Among those rescued from rising waters was nurse Janetta Barfield, whose car was swamped on Friday morning as she left an overnight shift at Asheville’s Mission Hospital. She said she watched a car in front of her drive through standing water and thought it was safe to proceed. But her car stalled, and within minutes water had filled her front seat up to her chest. A nearby police officer who saw her car stall helped her to safety.
“It was unbelievable how fast that creek got just in like five minutes,” Barfield said.
Erik Verduzco / AP
Early on Saturday morning, many gas stations were closed because they didn’t have electricity, and the few that were open had hourlong lines wrapped around the block. The hub of tourism and arts, home to about 94,000 people, was unusually still after floodwaters swamped neighborhoods known for drawing visitors including Biltmore Village and the River Arts District, which is home to numerous galleries, shops and breweries.
More than 700,000 power customers were without power across North Carolina, including 160,000 in Buncombe County. Interstate 40 and I-26 were impassible in multiple locations, and a state transportation department map showed that most routes into Asheville and across much of the mountains were snarled. North Carolina’s Department of Transportation posted on social media on Saturday afternoon that “all roads in Western North Carolina should be considered closed.”
In Asheville, there was no cellular service and no timeline for when it would be restored.
“We have had some loss of life,” County Emergency Services Director Van Taylor Jones told reporters. However, he said they were not ready to report any specifics. Officials have been hindered in contacting next of kin by the communications outages. Asheville police instituted a curfew from 7:30 p.m. Friday to 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
“The curfew is to ensure the public’s safety and will be in effect until further notice,” police said.
Asheville transit services were also suspended, police said. The city advised residents to boil “all water used for human consumption,” as there was at least one significant water line break during the storm. Many residents might not be getting water or reduced or no pressure water.
Jones said the area experienced a cascade of emergencies that included heavy rain, high winds and mudslides. Officials said they tried to prepare for the storm but its magnitude was beyond what they could have imagined.
“It’s not that we (were) not prepared, but this is going to another level,” Sheriff Quentin Miller said. “To say this caught us off-guard would be an understatement.”
Erik Verduzco / AP
Atlanta resident Francine Cavanaugh said she has been unable to reach her sister, son, or friends in the Asheville area.
“My sister checked in with me yesterday morning to find out how I was in Atlanta,” she said on Saturday. “The storm was just hitting her in Asheville, and she said it sounded really scary outside.”
Cavanaugh said her sister had no idea how bad the storm would be there. She told Cavanaugh she was going to head out to check on guests at a vacation cabin “and that’s the last I heard of her. I’ve been texting everyone that I know with no response. All phone calls go directly to voicemail.”
The CEO of a hospital operator that filed for bankruptcy protection in May will step down after failing to testify before a U.S. Senate panel.
Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre has overseen a network of some 30 hospitals around the country. The Texas-based company’s troubled recent history has drawn scrutiny from elected officials in New England, where some of its hospitals are located.
A spokesperson for de la Torre told the Associated Press Saturday that he “has amicably separated from Steward on mutually agreeable terms” and “will continue to be a tireless advocate for the improvement of reimbursement rates for the underprivileged patient population.”
A CBS News investigation that spanned nearly two years documented how private equity investors and de la Torre extracted hundreds of millions of dollars while healthcare workers and patients struggled to get the life-saving supplies they needed.
In August, the company closed two Massachusetts hospitals, leaving about 1,200 workers jobless, according to the state.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said earlier this month that Congress “will hold Dr. de la Torre accountable for his greed and for the damage he has caused to hospitals and patients throughout America.”
De la Torre’s resignation is effective Oct. 1. The Senate approved a resolution on Wednesday that was intended to hold him in criminal contempt for failing to testify before a committee.
The Senate panel has been looking into Steward’s bankruptcy. De la Torre did not appear before it despite being issued a subpoena. The resolution refers the matter to a federal prosecutor.
Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
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