Charges of involuntary manslaughter may be brought against actor Alec Baldwin for shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a movie set with a toy gun.
In October 2021, Mr. Baldwin was preparing a scene for the Western film Rust on a ranch outside of Sante Fe, New Mexico.
Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the movie's armorer, will also be charged.
Attorneys for both sides said that they intended to challenge the accusations in court.
District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies of Santa Fe made the allegations public on Thursday. She also said that they will be presented before the end of the month.
According to the statement, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, an armorer, and actor and producer Alec Baldwin will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. "I've determined the evidence is sufficient,"
On my watch, no one is exempt from the law, and justice must be served to everyone.
Everyone faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail and a $5,000 (£4,040) fine if proven guilty. Jurors would hear the prosecution's case, the prosecutors said.
Although the film's director Joel Souza was also hurt during the filming, no charges will be filed against him, according to the prosecutors.
According to the prosecution, David Halls, the movie's associate director, pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of reckless use of a hazardous weapon. He'll be on probation for six months.
In a statement, a lawyer for Ms. Hutchins' husband, Matthew, claimed that his client agreed with the charges being leveled. The family finds solace in the idea that no one is exempt from the law in New Mexico, he said.
Mr. Baldwin's lawyer, Luke Nikas, described the judgment as "a horrible miscarriage of justice."
"Mr. Baldwin had no reason to assume there was a live bullet in the handgun or anywhere on the movie set," Mr. Nikas said in his statement. "When the professionals he worked with told him the gun was devoid of live bullets, he believed them. We'll fight back against these accusations and prove them wrong."
The statement was the result of "a flawed investigation and an inaccurate grasp of the whole facts," according to Ms. Gutierrez Reed's counsel.
Hannah "is, and has always been, incredibly sensitive and upset about this tragic event," according to Todd Bullion. But she didn't murder someone by mistake.
Ms. Hutchins suddenly tragically in the hospital shortly after being struck in the chest by a fake gunshot by Mr. Baldwin on set. The incident led to accusations of negligence and demands better safety protocols on film sets.
An early investigation revealed that there was "some degree of recklessness" in the incident. Manufacturers that disregarded safety protocols were fined more than $136,000 by the New Mexico Environment Department.
The company that made the movie, Rust Movie Productions, said that it was under no duty to supervise the filming site or "much less for monitoring precise processes such as the maintenance and loading of weapons."
Mr. Baldwin said, “the weapon had malfunctioned after the event. I didn't squeeze the trigger because I didn't realize it was loaded. He also said, "I have no idea what happened on the set. I don't know how the bullet entered that gun. I'm not certain."
Mr. Baldwin has also filed a lawsuit against several other people associated with the movie, including Ms. Gutierrez Reed and Mr. Halls, alleging that both of them failed to check the weapon carefully.
In October, the 64-year-old actor and the film's production company reached a confidential settlement with Ms. Hutchins' family.
It occurred when the spouse of the cinematographer filed a wrongful death lawsuit citing violations of professional standards.
According to Mr. Hutchins, "all of us believe it was a tragic accident" when Halyna passed away. The speaker remarked, "I'm not interested in finding fault or offering explanations.
Mr. Hutchins was supposed to return as executive producer this year when the movie's production resumed.
