Assistant director David Halls, a codefendant in the case against actor Alec Baldwin in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the movie set of Rust in New Mexico, was convicted Friday of unsafe handling of a firearm.
He was sentenced by the court to six months of probation after pleading no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon resulting in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the low-budget western.
The Los Angeles Times reports with Halls’ plea, New Mexico prosecutors have secured one conviction in the criminal cases stemming from Alec Baldwin’s Oct. 21, 2021, shooting of Hutchins on the movie set near Santa Fe, N.M.
The film’s director, Joel Souza, was wounded, as Breitbart News reported.
Halls — the person who handed Baldwin the loaded firearm — also agreed to pay a $500 fine, participate in a firearms safety class, refrain from taking drugs or alcohol and complete 24 hours of community service.
Halls’ conviction was expected. He entered a plea deal with prosecutors in January, which the judge has now accepted.
Under the plea agreement, Halls agreed to testify truthfully at any upcoming hearings or trials. That includes criminal proceedings against Baldwin and movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who have pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death, AP reports.
The LA Times report further recorded Halls’ Albuquerque-based attorney, Lisa Torraco, told the judge her client is still haunted by the tragedy.
He was standing just three feet from Hutchins and Souza when they were shot. Torraco has maintained that despite Halls’ role as on-set safety coordinator, he was not responsible for the actions of others.
Alec Baldwin speaks on the phone in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office in Santa Fe, N.M., after he was questioned about a shooting on the set of the film “Rust” on the outskirts of Santa Fe, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. (Jim Weber/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)
“He, like many others, is extremely traumatized and just rattled with guilt and so many other feelings of: What could I have done better? How could I have changed things?” Torraco told the judge.
Halls’ sentencing took place on the 30th anniversary of the death of Brandon Lee. The son of martial-arts legend Bruce Lee was hit by a .44-caliber slug from a gun that was supposed to have fired a blank while filming “The Crow.”
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