'Rust' assistant director Dave Halls DENIES handing weapon to Alec Baldwin, may testify against actor
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: Dave Halls, assistant director of 'Rust', has denied handing a gun to Alec Baldwin at the film set. Following the death of the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the actor is currently facing trial on involuntary manslaughter charges. In October 2021, the award-winning cinematographer was shot dead on set.
The first assistant director's testimony has been secured by the prosecutors in the case against the star and the film's armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, according to Variety. Baldwin, who is also the producer of 'Rust', shot the cinematographer after he was handed a loaded gun. As per the warrant previously filed in Santa Fe, Arizona, the gun with live ammo was one of the weapons Gutierrez-Reed had placed on a wooden structure during the shooting. Halls then reportedly picked it up from there and gave it to Baldwin who was not aware that the gun was loaded as he told Halls that it was a "cold gun."
RELATED ARTICLES
'He shot and killed someone': Internet furious after Alec Baldwin's lawyer says 'we will win'
Dave Halls' plea agreement
Halls denied handing the weapon to Baldwin at the 'Rust' shooting as he stated that he gave it to the armorer and accused her of declaring the loaded weapon a "cold gun," as per the deposition with the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau.
The assistant director called the fatal shooting a "system failure" and not any one person's mistake, comparing the incident to a plane crash. He had signed a plea deal that includes probation of six months regarding the use of a deadly weapon in the shooting case. Following Hutchin's death, a lawsuit was filed against the producers of 'Rust' by the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau.
In the December deposition obtained by Variety, Halls stated that he does not recollect announcing "cold gun." He further continued saying, "I have recollections of Hannah saying it." and added, "It’s just like what they say about an airplane crash. It’s like it’s just not one thing, y’know. It's a system failure."
As there are conflicting statements from the crew members on the gun being handed to Baldwin either by Halls or Gutierrez-Reed, Santa Fe district attorney's spokeswoman Heather Brewer stated, "We are aware of the apparent contradictions in the testimony. However, we are confident that there is more than enough evidence to demonstrate negligence and to secure justice for Halyna Hutchins."
Actor and armorer deny responsibility
The case investigators were previously told by the armorer that the weapon was given to Halls, unaware that the gun was loaded, and denied saying "cold gun" during the filming. "I don't like the term 'cold gun.' I know it got thrown around a lot on the set. That was mostly Dave's terminology," Gutierrez-Reed told the deposition.
Andrea Reeb, the DA-appointed special prosecutor for the case stated, "If any one of these three people - Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, or Dave Halls - had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It's that simple," the Daily Mail reported.
Baldwin has refused to accept responsibility for the shooting death and is set to fight the involuntary manslaughter charges. The denial to accept any culpability for killing Hutchins was told by Luke Nikas, the actor's lawyer on January 18, who said, "we will win" against the charges.