Actor Alec Baldwin, who accidentally killed a filmmaker on set, “played Russian roulette” when he handled a weapon without respecting the safety regulations in force in the film industry, accuses a complaint filed against him Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Mamie Mitchell, employed as a scriptwriter on the set of the western “Rust” where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally injured on October 21, is the second member of the film crew to file a complaint against Alec Baldwin and the other producers. .
Ms Mitchell, who called for help immediately after the tragedy, said she suffered from “emotional distress” and other disturbances resulting from harm “caused intentionally” by the production.
“The events leading up to the triggering of a loaded gun by Mr. Baldwin were not mere negligence,” scriptwriter’s lawyer Gloria Allred said at a press conference in Los Angeles.
“On the contrary, from our point of view, Mr. Baldwin chose to play Russian roulette when he actuated a weapon without having checked it and without the gunsmith having done so in his presence”, argues l ‘lawyer.
“His behavior and that of the producers of Rust were dangerous, ”she says.
Also targeted by the complaint are assistant director David Halls, who had handed the gun to Alec Baldwin, telling him that it was harmless, and the armourer of the set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for the weapons at fire used by the team.
The 24-year-old has repeatedly claimed that she was unaware of the presence of live ammunition on the set.
This live bullet was in Alec Baldwin’s revolver as he rehearsed a scene, and it killed Halyna Hutchins before ending its race in the shoulder of director Joel Souza.
“Mr. Baldwin and the (other) experienced professionals knew that the weapon in question should never have been given to him by the assistant director” but by the gunsmith of the shooting, accused Ms. Allred. The actor “could not therefore trust any statement from the assistant director on the harmlessness of the weapon,” she reproaches him.
Safety guidelines in the movie industry in the United States state that the gunsmith must explicitly show an actor that the weapon is safe and then hand it directly to him. “Mr. Baldwin knew that was the rule and that it was broken. And he did not check the weapon himself, ”adds the lawyer.
Last week, Serge Svetnoy, chief lighting designer of the film present during the accidental shooting, had filed a complaint for “negligence” against the actor, the production and the gunsmith.