Baldwin was holding a gun while rehearsing a scene at Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico in October, when a shot was fired, killing cameraman Halina Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
In the first moments of his interview, Baldwin asked an MP if he was accused of something to which the MP replied that he was not, the video shows. The deputy explains that this is just an interview, before reading Baldwin, he read his rights to Miranda before questioning.
Footage from the interview, conducted in a small interview room, shows that Baldwin describes the process of handling weapons and the usual steps taken on the set.
“Do you think anyone would do that on purpose?” The interviewer asks.
“I can’t imagine who would,” Baldwin said quickly.
The video is one of several files released Monday by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, including photos, recordings and reports related to the ongoing investigation, officials said.
“Various components of the investigation remain unfulfilled, including FBI forensics on firearms and ballistic expertise, along with DNA and latent fingerprint analysis, a report on the findings of the Forensic Medical Service in New Mexico and an analysis of Mr. Alec Baldwin extracted from Suffolk County, New York Sheriff’s Investigators, “Santa Fe County Sheriff Aden Mendoza said in a press release. Reed – and that she handed him the gun directly to him.
Asked if he had physically checked the gun himself, Baldwin answered in general terms about the process in which the gunsmith checked the gun. He also described how Gutierrez Reed and her team helped equip Baldwin with a holster, a knife and a pistol.
Speaking quickly, Baldwin explained the process of firing a pistol with a blank shot, which requires the actor to react to the shot as if the pistol “swung back”, as it would when firing a live cartridge. Baldwin goes through the movements of the stage, reaching through his body and using his thumb and forefinger to simulate the gun being pulled through his body.
“Bang! It exploded – the first time,” Baldwin said of the weapon used in the rehearsal. “We shot this shot for the first time, we rehearsed for this shot.”
Baldwin’s lawyer said the actor welcomed the investigation and said some of the information released on Monday confirmed his description of the events.
“The information disclosed by the authorities shows once again that Mr Baldwin acted responsibly and had no control over any of the production problems identified in the OSHA report,” Baldwin’s lawyer Luke Nikas said in a statement.
“Furthermore, the interviews and affidavits unveiled today continue to confirm Mr Baldwin’s account of the events – including an affidavit from the detective stating that the operator standing next to Ms Hutchins and Mr Souza “confirmed during the incident that Mr Baldwin was ‘very careful’ with the weapons on the set,” the statement continued.
Last week, Rust Movie Productions, LLC was fined nearly $ 137,000 and cited for having a culture of “ordinary indifference to employee safety” on set, according to a report from the Department of the Environment’s Health and Safety Bureau. environment of New Mexico.
Gutierrez Reed’s lawyers told CNN last week that she “did not receive enough time or resources to do her job effectively, despite her concerns.”
Asked for comment on Monday, her lawyer said they were reviewing the published materials and were not commenting at the moment. Rust Productions LLC declined to comment. CNN contacted the supplier of the props used on the set, but received no response.
Matthew Hutchins ‘family lawyer, Halina Hutchins’ widower, said in a statement that she would not comment on the publication of evidence.
“We were surprised by the decision of the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office to release so much evidence today, given that the investigation is still ongoing and active,” said attorney Brian Panish. “For this reason, we will not comment on the published material, except to say that we hope that the press will show discretion in the way it uses the graphic images and videos of the fatal events of October 21, 2021.”
The Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office will wait for a full investigation into the fatal shooting before deciding to prosecute the case, according to a statement received from CNN.
“The investigation is not complete,” said a statement from prosecutor Mary Carmack-Altuis, adding that the sheriff’s office was still awaiting key reports and would not complete its investigation until those reports were presented.
“Once we have completed the investigation and carried out a thorough and deliberate review of all the evidence, a criminal charge will be decided,” Carmack-Altwies said in a statement.
Paul Vercamen, Julia Jones and Chloe Melas of CNN contributed to this report.
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