In the case of camerawoman Halyna Hutchins, who was shot dead during a western shoot by Hollywood star Alec Baldwin, assistant director Dave Halls has been sentenced to a six-month suspended sentence. The competent court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Friday sentenced the 63-year-old to negligent handling of a deadly weapon.
Halls also has to pay a $500 fine, do 24-hour community work and testify in other trials related to the case. The assistant director, who worked as a security coordinator on filming of the low-budget western Rust, previously pleaded guilty to a plea deal with prosecutors. He is now the first person to be convicted in connection with Hutchins’ death.
Baldwin accidentally shot 42-year-old Hutchins with a revolver during a film rehearsal in October 2021. Hall’s assistant director had previously presented Baldwin with the Colt .45, saying that the gun was “cold”, i.e. not loaded with live ammunition. Halls, in turn, had been given the revolver by armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who had loaded the gun, apparently accidentally using a live bullet as well.
At Friday’s court hearing, prosecutor Kari Morrissey said Halls was “the last line of defense.” However, he did not check every bullet in the revolver barrel to make sure it was dummy cartridges.
In the trial, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed are charged with involuntary manslaughter. If convicted, the two face up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine each.
Known for films such as ‘The Hunt for Red October’ and ‘The Temptation of Blondes’ and the series ’30 Rock’, Baldwin has denied any responsibility for Hutchins’ death. He claims he had no way of knowing there was live ammunition in the Colt.
Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to this. The court has scheduled weeks of preliminary hearings for May. Hutchins’ death made international headlines and, in addition to the criminal investigation, sparked a series of civil lawsuits.
