Rust production wanted to fire ‘difficult to work with’ armourer before Alec Baldwin shooting
“Rust” first assistant director David Halls testified during the trial, and choked up when he recalled the shooting of Halyna Hutchins
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“Rust” prop master Sarah Zachry testified during the trial and admitted to a defence attorney that she had previously voiced a desire to both fire Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and — after the shooting of Halyna Hutchins — see her sent to prison.
After the cross-exam, Ms Zachry told the prosection that the armourer was not easy to work with and confirmed that Gutierrez-Reed had called her a “c***,” which the prosecution argued is likely why Ms Zachry wanted to fire her.
Gutierrez-Reed is facing involuntary manslaughter charges in the fatal shooting of Ms Hutchins. Actor and producer Alec Baldwin is also facing involuntary manslaughter charges related to the shooting. His trial will begin on 9 July.
The prosecution seeks to prove that Gutierrez-Reed was negligent in her duties on set and that proper protocol was in place during the investigation of the shooting. The state claims the armourer was “sloppy” and had left guns unattended on the set.
Gutierrez-Reed is also facing an evidence tampering charge for allegedly asking a friend to hide cocaine for her while police were investigating the shooting.
Gutierrez-Reed faces up to three years in prison if she is convicted.
Prosecution explains evidence tampering charge
The prosecution laid out a brief explanation of its argument that Gutierrez-Reed tampered with evidence.
Prosecutor Jason Lewis argued that after the shooting, Gutierrez-Lewis returned to a hotel room and gave a colleague a bag of cocaine, and told that individual to hold onto it for her.
The crewmate reportedly was shocked by the request and disposed of the drugs they had allegedly been given by Gutierrez-Reed.
The prosecution further claimed that Gutierrez-Reed texted the crewmate over the following days, asking them to “return her stuff.”
Court resumes after short break, defence begins opening statements
After a short break, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s defence attorney, Jason Bowles, began his opening statements. He first asked the jury to remember that a tragedy does not necessitate a crime.
“Just because there was a tragedy does not mean a crime was committed,” Mr Bowles said.
He further said she was being made a “scapegoat” by the production and the state, and placed much of the blame for the shooting on actor and producer Alec Baldwin.
Defence says Alec Baldwin carried out “dangerous” draw on day of the shooting, claims prop company was active in pointing fingers
Jason Bowles, who is representing Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, said actor and producer Alec Baldwin never should have performed a “seat-crossdraw”, as it is one of the most “dangerous” ways to draw a gun.
He also said that the dummy rounds used on set were sourced by a prop company in New Mexico, which he claims began talking to law enforcement and pointing blame away from the company after the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Mr Bowles claims that the production’s prop master, Sarah Zachary, texted the company “emergency” in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
The defence will call Thell Reed, the defendant’s father, as a witness
Jason Bowles, the attorney representing Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, said they would call her father, Thell Reed, to testify.
Mr Reed is a celebrated Hollywood armourer and has worked on movies including “Tombstone” and “3:10 to Yuma” and trained actors including Brad Pitt and Denzel Washington.
Mr Bowles said that contrary to the prosecution’s argument, Gutierrez-Reed was professionally trained and was good at her job, and said Mr Reed would confirm as much.
Prosecution’s first witness: Santa Fe police officer Nicholas LeFleur
The prosecution called Santa Fe officer Nicholas LaFleur to the stand.
Prosecutor Jason Lewis moved to show elements of Mr LaFleur’s bodycam footage to the jury. A prior request to prohibit media from recording or broadcasting the bodycam footage was approved by the judge.
Video shows first responders arriving at scene of Halyna Hutchins shooting
A video shown during the testimony of the prosection’s first witness, Santa Fe police officer Nicholas LeFleur, was barred from being shown on livestream or recorded.
However, reports in the courthouse described the footage on social media, explaining that it showed bodycam images from Mr LaFleur’s perspective as he arrived at the scene of the shooting.
Voices of paramedics and responding officers can be heard calling for an airlift and describing the victims — Ms Hutchins and the movie’s director, Joel Souza. Mr Souza survived his wound.
Trial had broken for a short recess
“Rust” armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s involuntary manslaughter trial has taken a short recess.
Prior to the break, the prosecution called its first witness, Santa Fe police officer Nicholas LeFleur.
ICYMI: Alec Baldwin formally charged with involuntary manslaughter over Rust shooting
Alec Baldwin has been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal on the New Mexico film set in 2021.
Prosecutors filed the felony charges against the actor, who allegedly pointed a gun at Hutchins that went off and fatally shot her, on Tuesday (31 January), according to Albuquerque TV station KOAT.
Hutchins died after being struck by a live bullet at Bonanza Creek Ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 21 October 2021. Joel Souza, the director of the film Rust, was also shot and injured but survived the incident.
READ MORE:
Alec Baldwin formally charged with involuntary manslaughter over Rust shooting
Actor has denied that he pulled trigger of weapon during rehearsal on New Mexico set in 2021
EXPLAINER — Alec Baldwin: What is involuntary manslaughter and the expected sentence?
Alec Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the on-set death of Halyna Hutchins, the Santa Fe District Attorney has said.
What is involuntary manslaughter?
The Santa Fe DA said that Mr Baldwin and Ms Gutierrez-Reed would be “charged in the alternative” with two counts of manslaughter.
This means that a “jury would decide not simply if they were guilty, but under which definition of involuntary manslaughter they were guilty,” the DA said in a statement.
READ MORE:
Alec Baldwin: What is involuntary manslaughter and the expected sentence?
‘Jury would decide not simply if they were guilty, but under which definition of involuntary manslaughter they were guilty’
Court set to resume
The trial is set to resume after the lunch break.
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