Alec Baldwin’s Lawyer Strikes Back at the FBI When Medical Investigator Decides to Shoot in ‘Accident’

Alec Baldwin’s fatal shooting last year was an accident, according to a report prepared by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Examiner.

The report provoked a scathing response from Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas, who says the latest report concludes that Halina Hutchins’ death was a “tragic accident”.

He was 42 years old.

The latest decision came after an autopsy was completed and the authorities’ reports were reviewed.

An earlier FBI analysis of the revolver Baldwin was holding during rehearsal suggested that it was functional at the time and would not have fired unless it was fully cocked and the trigger pulled.

The coroner’s report was released Monday by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, along with several FBI reports on the revolver and ammunition collected in the aftermath of the shooting.

Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas, pictured, said of the report: “This is the third time New Mexico authorities have determined that Alec Baldwin had no authority or knowledge of allegedly unsafe conditions on set.”

The actor, pictured with Hutchins and director Joel Souza, also shot Souza in the same incident with a Colt .45.

After the coroner’s report, Luka Nikas said Fox News: “The critical report is the coroner who concluded it was a tragic accident.

The attorney continued: “This is the third time New Mexico authorities have determined that Alec Baldwin had no authority or knowledge of the allegedly dangerous conditions on set, which he was informed by a security officer who the gun. he was “cold” and believed the gun was safe.

Nikas continued: “The FBI report is misinterpreted. The gun fired only once during the test, without the trigger being pulled, when the firing pin was removed and the gun broke in two different places.

He continued, “The FBI was unable to fire the weapon during preliminary tests, even with the trigger pulled, because it was in such poor condition.”

Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to press charges in the case, saying they are reviewing the latest reports and awaiting cell phone records from Baldwin’s lawyers.

Baldwin was pointing a gun at cinematographer Hutchins when it exploded on October 21, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

They were in a small church to film a scene.

A new FBI report claims Baldwin must have fired the shot that killed cinematographer Halina Hutchins on the set of Rust last year.

The video shows investigators telling the actor that Hutchins, 42, has succumbed to his injuries, and Baldwin instantly says “no” as he returns to his seat in shock. Baldwin, 64, is seen with his hand over his mouth as he looks between the two investigators in stunned silence.

Baldwin insisted that sheriff’s investigators should question Hannah Gutierrez, pictured wearing a bulletproof vest, about the shooting.

Meanwhile, Hanna Gutierrez Reed, a spokeswoman for the film’s arsenal, told Fox that he became a “scapegoat” after being shot.

The spokesperson also said: “The newly released FBI report shows that the revolver was in good condition and that Baldwin had to pull the trigger to fire the revolver, which directly contradicts his earlier statements and those of Deputy Director Hollis. , through your lawyer. He also said that Baldwin pulled the trigger.

While it’s too early to say how much weight the coroner’s report will hold for the district attorney’s office, Baldwin’s legal team said it was further evidence that the shooting was a “tragic incident” and that he should not face charges.

“This is the third time New Mexico authorities have determined that Alec Baldwin had no authority or knowledge of the allegedly dangerous conditions on set, that he was told by security personnel that the weapon was ‘cold’. “And he believed the weapon was safe,” attorney Luca Nikas said in a statement.

Baldwin said in an ABC News interview in December that he was instructing Hutchins to aim the gun on the set of the western movie “Rust” when it went off after he punched him. He said he didn’t pull the trigger.

Baldwin, who was also a producer on “Rust,” previously said the gun didn’t need to be carried for rehearsal.

With the hammer in the full hammer position, according to the FBI report, the weapon could not be fired without pulling the trigger as long as the internal working parts were intact and functional.

When the gun was tested by the FBI, officials said that part of the gun’s trigger and cylinder lock broke when hit by the hammer.

This allowed the hammer to drop and the striker to detonate the primer.

“This was the only successful discharge during this test and was attributed to fractured internal components and not to a failure of the firearm or safety mechanisms,” the report reads.

It was not clear in the FBI report how many times the revolver’s hammer might have been hit during the test.

Baldwin, who was also a producer on “Rust,” previously said the gun didn’t need to be carried for rehearsal.

Among the ammunition recovered at the filming location were live bullets found in a car and in a magazine that was in the building where the shooting took place. Empty and fake cartridges were also found.

In a hard-hitting report released in April, the New Mexico Office of Occupational Safety and Health detailed security flaws that violated standard industry protocols, including testimonials that production managers took little to no action to address two glitches on set before. of the fatal shooting.

The agency also noted that crew members’ weapons safety complaints were ignored, saying that weapons experts were not authorized to make decisions about additional safety training.

Before concluding that the shooting was an accident, the New Mexico coroner’s office cited “no apparent intent to cause injury or death” and said there was “no convincing demonstration” that the revolver was intentionally loaded with live ammunition. . In the set.