Halyna Hutchins’ family slams sheriff for releasing footage of fatal ‘Rust’ shooting

The family of Halyna Hutchins, shot by Alec Baldwin on the set of Rust, have expressed dismay over graphic bodycam footage showing her dying.

The family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has slammed authorities for releasing video of her dying on the Rust movie set moments after being shot by the film’s star and producer Alec Baldwin.

According to the New York Post, the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office bodycam footage — part of a trove of documents released on Monday, local time – shows medics attempting to save the 42-year-old woman after the shooting at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico.

Brian Panish, the lawyer representing Ms Hutchins’ husband, Matthew, and their young son, said the video’s release violated their constitutional rights and called on Sheriff Adan Mendoza to retract it, the LA Times reported.

Police bodycam video shows medics battling to save Hutchins’ life after the Rust movie set shooting. The family of Hutchins has objected to the release of the footage. Picture: Santa Fe County Sheriff

“The first time Mr. Hutchins saw the disturbing and unsettling video footage of his dying wife lying on the church floor was on Radar Online, an internet website,” Mr Panish reportedly said in a letter sent to Mr Mendoza on Wednesday.

“The potential consequences are disturbing given how information is misused on social media. We fear, for example, that this shocking footage of Andros’ mother dying may be material used by bullies to emotionally abuse him in the future,” the lawyer wrote.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of Rust. Picture: Instagram

With Ms Hutchins behind the camera, Baldwin is shown sitting in a pew and dressed in 1880s-style Western garb as he rehearses whipping out the F.lli Pietta 45 Long Colt Revolver that went off and left the cinematographer dead and the film’s director Joel Souza injured.

Police previously said the actor was practising the move, which required him to point the gun directly at the camera, in the moments leading up to the shooting.

Alec Baldwin being after the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Picture: AFP

Both Ms Hutchins and Mr Souza were in the line of fire when the revolver went off.

Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel, has told The Post in a statement that the release of the records proves the actor’s innocence.

“Mr. Baldwin welcomes this investigation. The information that has been revealed by the authorities demonstrates, once again, that Mr. Baldwin acted responsibly and did not have control over any production issues that were identified in the OSHA report,” Mr Nikas said.

Originally published as Halyna Hutchins’ family slams sheriff for releasing footage of fatal ‘Rust’ shooting