Alec Baldwin Watches Halyna Hutchins’ Final Moments After Fatal “Rust” Shooting in Footage Played at His Trial
Baldwin, who pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, was holding a prop gun on the set of the Western in 2021 when it discharged, killing Hutchins
Alec Baldwin was confronted with footage of Halyna Hutchins's final moments when police body camera footage was played at his involuntary manslaughter trial on Wednesday, July 10. The actor is facing charges stemming from the 2021 fatal on-set shooting of the cinematographer on the New Mexico set of the Western Rust.
“Deep breath, Halyna. Deep breath,” a paramedic coached Hutchins, while director Joel Souza — who was also shot, but survived his injuries — lifted himself off the ground of the church set, where the shooting took place, and screamed in pain.
Hutchins could also be seen moving her head from side to side while paramedics tried to stabilize her. She died that day.
Several jurors grimaced while others took notes. Baldwin, seated beside his legal team, kept a neutral expression as he watched. At one point, he removed his glasses briefly to rub his nose.
The star’s brother, fellow actor Stephen Baldwin, watched the video, while their sister Beth Keuchler did not. Neither did Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria. A source previously told PEOPLE that Baldwin wanted to put on a brave face and go to the trial alone, but his family showed up to support him.
Earlier that day during a break from the proceedings, Baldwin chatted with his siblings and then huddled with his wife. She held up her hand so no one could read their lips. After a few seconds of chatting, she softly stroked his cheek and returned to her seat.
The footage from the aftermath of the shooting came from the camera of Nicholas LaFleur, an officer at the Santa Fe Police Department who previously worked for the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department when he responded to the scene in 2021.
Both prosecutors and defense questioned LaFleur, who was the first member of law enforcement to arrive on the scene, about what he witnessed that day.
Baldwin, who faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter, has insisted he did not pull the trigger of the gun and did not know why the gun contained live ammunition. He has pleaded not guilty. The film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was in charge of the weapons on the set, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March, and is serving an 18-month sentence.
In her opening statement earlier on Wednesday, prosecutor Erlinda Johnson painted Baldwin as “reckless” on set and said she would present experts who would testify that the gun’s trigger would need to be pulled in order for it to discharge.
Baldwin’s defense attorney, in his own statement, disputed the idea that Baldwin was at fault. “This was an unspeakable tragedy, but Alec Baldwin committed no crime. He was an actor acting,” he said.
“This is a homicide trial,” he later added, and the prosecutors “don’t have any evidence of actual homicide.”
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