Alec Baldwin: Rust producers slam shooting probe, deny unsafe working conditions

The company behind the Alec Baldwin movie Rust has disputed an investigation into the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The company behind the ill-fated Rust movie has slammed the findings of a workplace safety investigation into the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Ms Hutchins was killed on the New Mexico set last October after a prop gun actor Alec Baldwin was holding discharged.

The New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau fined the company $195,000 last month for its “wilful and serious” violation of workplace safety procedures after a six-month investigation, Deadline reports.

Alec Baldwin on the set of Rust after the shooting of Halyna Hutchins. Picture: Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office / AFP

The bureau said the Rust production company was “cited for the plain indifference to the recognised hazards associated with the use of firearms on set that resulted in a fatality, severe injury, and unsafe working conditions.”

Rust Movie Productions LLC had 15 business days after receiving the citation on April 20 to either pay the penalty and provide the bureau with certification of corrective action or contest the citation, Deadline said.

In contesting the citation, the production company said that the basis for the citation is “factually and legally inaccurate” and that it was not the “employer” responsible for supervising the film set.

As part of its case against the production company, the bureau said there had been three firearm “misfires” on the Rust set before the fatal shooting of Ms Hutchins.

The bureau said that “despite being informed of the misfires, and that at least one employee expressed not feeling safe, Rust management took no corrective action”.

Alec Baldwin is shown being interviewed by Santa Fe Sheriff's Deputies on October 21, 2021 after accidentally shooting Halyna Hutchins.

The company, however, said that the three alleged “misfires” were properly addressed and that none of the incidents violated firearm safety protocols on the set and appropriate corrective actions were taken, including safety briefings of cast and crew.”

The bullet that killed Hutchins and wounded director Jorl Souza was fired from a gun held by Alec Baldwin, who has claimed that he did not pull the trigger and that the gun must have misfired as he pointed it toward the camera during rehearsals.

The production company also said that it did not “wilfully” violate any safety protocol, and in fact enforced all applicable safety protocols,” claiming that “assistant directors were instructed by the unit production manager to conduct morning safety meetings on all days firearms were used. In fact, a safety meeting was held the morning of the incident.”

The company also denied that the film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was overworked by being required to act as a prop assistant.

“The armourer had sufficient time to properly inspect and safeguard all firearms and ammunition on set, and her duties as armourer always took precedence over any responsibilities related to props,” the prediction company said.