Watch: Trial of Alec Baldwin’s Rust armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed continues
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Louise Thomas
Editor
Watch as the trial of Alec Baldwin’s Rust armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, continued on Friday, 23 February.
Ms Gutierrez-Reed faces involuntary manslaughter charges in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.
She has also been charged with one count of tampering with evidence.
Mr Baldwin, who is also facing an involuntary manslaughter charge in a separate case, has pointed to Ms Gutierrez-Reed as the person responsible for the incident.
Ms Gutierrez-Reed, who has pleaded not guilty to all three charges, has accused Baldwin of running a chaotic set with little concern for safety training. She maintains she is not directly to blame for Ms Hutchins’ death.
The cinematographer, 42, was killed when the actor, 65, accidentally shot her during a rehearsal using a replica gun that had been inexplicably loaded with live ammunition while the crew were filming the western in New Mexico on 21 October 2021.
On Thursday, the prosecution gave its opening statements in the high-profile trial; prosecutor Jason Lewis said witnesses would attest to Gutierrez-Reed being “unprofessional and sloppy”, and called it “incomprehensible” that live ammunition was found on the set.
Ms Gutierrez-Reed has been accused of using alcohol and cocaine on the night before the shooting, with prosecutors citing text messages between the armourer and her friends.
The evidence tampering charge relates to her alleged drug use; prosecutors believe she told a friend to hide cocaine for her while police were searching the Rust set.
If convicted, Ms Gutierrez-Reed faces up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine for each count she faces.
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