Alec Baldwin has filed a tort claim against the special prosecutor adn district attorney involved in the initial charges stemming from the fatal shooting on the set of the movie “rust.” The claim, filed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, also names three investigators from the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office and the county board of commissioners.
The legal action follows the dismissal of an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin last year. That dismissal occurred during his trial, based on allegations that evidence was withheld from the defense. The proceedings were further intricate by revelations that ammunition had been brought to the sheriff’s office months prior by an individual who suggested it might be connected to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Baldwin’s attorneys assert that the prosecutors and investigators targeted him for professional or political reasons, citing defamation as a key allegation in the tort claim.
Hutchins died in October 2021 after being struck by a projectile from a firearm during a rehearsal for “Rust.” The incident took place at a film ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Baldwin has stated that he was aiming the pistol in hutchins’ direction when it discharged, resulting in her death and wounding director Joel Souza. The actor maintains that he pulled back the hammer but not the trigger before the revolver fired.
In a recent interview with The Associated press at San Diego’s Comic-Con International, Baldwin expressed disbelief at the events that led to the abrupt end of his trial and described his life over the past year as substantially improved compared to the preceding few years.
Despite the dismissal of the criminal charge, Baldwin and other producers of “Rust” are facing a civil lawsuit in New Mexico state court. The suit was filed by Hutchins’ parents and younger sister. Court documents indicate that Baldwin’s deposition in this civil case, initially scheduled for May, has not yet been rescheduled.