Alec Baldwin (64) has gone to court to “clean himself up” after his shooting incident on the film set last year.
The movie star was the one holding the gun that was accidentally fired on the film set in Santa Fe, New Mexico last fall, killing the 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Since then, one lawsuit after another has been filed. Among other things, script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, who called 911 after the fatal shooting, did sued Baldwin and the production for having suffered physical and psychological injuries.
Counterclaim
Now, Baldwin, who served as a producer on the western along with Rust Movie Productions and the lead actor, has also filed a counter-suit — aimed at the very people Mitchell is suing, with the exception of himself.
The news agency AP reports that Baldwin filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday. There it emerges that he accuses the people he holds responsible for the weapon of negligence.
Baldwin is asking for his share of any compensation Mitchell may receive, as well as covering all legal costs.
The gun Baldwin was holding was found loaded with live ammunition, and it is still unclear how this could have happened and how the weapon was fired.
«Baldwin, more than anyone else on set, was wrongly held responsible for the tragedy. He now he’s trying to get clean» says the lawsuit.
«This tragedy took place on a movie set, not a shooting range or battlefield», we read in Baldovino’s judicial documents.
The film must be completed
Police concluded the incident was an accident, but are still investigating the matter and have said charges could be brought.
The dead woman’s husband, Matthew Hutchins, entered into a deal last month with the producers behind the film.
The deal means the widower will take over as executive producer on “Rust” and that shooting will resume in January next year, with all the main characters original.
Some of the people involved in the staff have asked to be released from completing the project.
But the police investigation is therefore ongoing regardless of the deal.
Baldwin plays Harland Rust, an outlaw who helps his 13-year-old nephew escape from a Kansas prison. The boy was sentenced to death for accidentally killing someone.
The Hollywood veteran also spoke about the dramatic incident on TV, stating that he would never aim at someone and shoot:
