Alec Baldwin.Photo: Jim Spellman/Getty
Alec Baldwin’s phone is being sought in the ongoing investigation surrounding thefatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchinson the New Mexico set of his filmRustin October, according to new court documents.
The “affiant” is identified within the documents as a “full-time, certified peace officer” and a “Violent Crimes Detective in the Criminal Investigations Division” with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department.
On Oct. 21, while filming on location at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, actor/producer Baldwin was holding the gun that shot and killed 42-year-old Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. An investigation is currently underway as authorities determine how live rounds ended up on the film set.
“Affiant believes there may be evidence on the phone, due to individuals using cellular phones during and/or after the commission of crime(s),” the affidavit continued. “Such information, if it exists, may be material and relevant to this investigation. Affiant was also made aware there were several emails and text messages sent and received regarding the movie production Rust in the course of interviews.”
Deadline reports that although Baldwin, 63, has been communicating with the sheriff’s department with regard to the tragedy, the star’s lawyers have thus far refused to hand over the requested phone without a warrant.
“We proactively requested that the authorities obtain a warrant so that we could take steps to protect Mr. Baldwin’s family and personal information that is clearly unrelated to the investigation,” Aaron S. Dyer, Baldwin’s civil attorney at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, said in a statement confirmed to PEOPLE on Thursday. “A phone contains a person’s entire life, and personal information needs to be protected. While they evaluate the phone information, we hope that the authorities continue to focus on how the live rounds got on the set in the first place.”
“We are confident that the evidence will show that Mr. Baldwin is not responsible civilly or criminally for what occurred on October 21, and he continues to cooperate with authorities,” Dyer also said.
RELATED VIDEO:RustActor Devon Werkheiser Says Halyna Hutchins Death in Tragic Shooting ‘Doesn’t Make Sense’
Earlier this month,Rustassistant director Dave Halls' attorney Lisa Torraco toldGood Morning Americathat her client supports Baldwin’sclaim that he never actually pulled the triggeron the gun at the time of the fatal shooting.
“The entire time, Baldwin had his finger outside the trigger guard, parallel to the barrel. [Halls] told me since day one he thought it was a misfire,” Torraco said on Dec. 2. “And until Alec said that, it was just really hard to believe. But Dave has told me since the very first day I met him that Alec did not pull that trigger.”
In Baldwin’semotional first interviewsince the shootingwith ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, which aired on Dec. 2, the actor said that it’s “unlikely” he’ll personally face criminal charges, adding that he continues to cooperate in investigations. “I don’t have anything to hide,” he said.
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“I would go to any lengths to undo what happened,” he said at the top of the interview.
“I want to make sure that I don’t come across like I’m the victim, because we have two victims here. All of what happened that day leading up to this event was precipitated on one idea, and that idea is that Halyna and I had something profound in common,” he added, “that is we both assumed the gun was empty, other than those dummy rounds.”
Baldwin previously issued astatement after Hutchins' death. When he spoke out about the shooting for the first time, he wrote, “There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours.”
source: people.com
