‘Rust’ Shooting Investigation Continues Despite Baldwin Saying He Was Cleansed –

The Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating last year’s deadly shooting on the set of the movie “Rust,” said Monday that they are still gathering key evidence and releasing cold water on actor Alec’s latest statement Baldwin that he was acquitted.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation is “open and ongoing,” the department said when it released files related to the investigation, including footage of the shooting that killed director Halina Hutchins and the injured director. Joel Souza.

According to Sheriff Adam Mendoza said “various parts of the investigation remain important,” including FBI weapons and ballistic testing, DNA and fingerprint testing, findings from the New Mexico coroner’s office and analysis of telephone data. by Baldwin.

The investigation will not be handed over to the district attorney’s office until this evidence has been gathered, Mendoza said.

Baldwin, who starred in the film and became a producer, last week released a statement from his lawyer that he had been acquitted by a New Mexico Bureau of Occupational Health and Safety report on a crime scene shooting.

“We appreciate that the report justifies Mr. Baldwin by believing the weapon contained only imaginary ammunition,” his attorney wrote. “Furthermore, the report acknowledges that [his] Authority for the product is limited to approving script changes and creative casting. “

Baldwin also said he didn’t get the applause.

During and after production, the film crew complained that project managers did not properly explain or apply gun safety on set. Investigators determined that Baldwin’s fatal shot was the fourth time he accidentally fired a gun while shooting.

The combined crew eventually left the firing range, citing gun safety and a lack of doctors, as well as the poor COVID-19 protocol. The producer also failed to provide hotel rooms near the remote filming location, forcing many crews to shift 13-hour shifts in one hour, leaving them little time to sleep.

Documents released Monday included text messages of crew complaints, interrogation of witnesses and applause from police officers, and video footage from cameras, but did not specify how the live ammunition hit the fire range.

Newly released videos show Baldwin’s first conversations with police and detectives, both on set and at the police station. The actor cooperated and asked the officers: “They told him [him] what will I do.”

Other footage shows Hutchins and Souza being killed on the spot, as well as Souza recounting the trial from his hospital room.

“The armor wearer delivered the weapon to the actor,” he said, referring to Hannah Gutierrez Reed and Baldwin in armor on set. “I don’t know if what he said was cold or clean, but he handed him a gun and he heard an explosion – an explosion louder than I heard from the empty.”

Baldwin’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request from HuffPost to comment on the sheriff’s comments and file.