Alec Baldwin turns over cell phone in ‘Rust’ shooting investigation
By Josh Campbell
Alec Baldwin has turned over his cell phone to law enforcement officials as part of their investigation into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust,” the Santa Fe County District Attorney’s office told CNN.
A spokesperson for the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to CNN the actor provided his phone to law enforcement officials in Suffolk County, New York, who have been assisting New Mexico authorities with obtaining the device.
“They will gather information off the phone and provide the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office with the evidence gathered,” said Santa Fe County Sheriff spokesperson Juan Rios.
“The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office does not yet have physical possession of the data to be retrieved off the Baldwin phone,” Rios added, but noted “this is in process.”
Hutchins was fatally shot October 21 during a rehearsal for a scene in a church at Bonanza Creek Ranch. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the shooting.
Late last year, Baldwin told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos the scene was going to show Baldwin cocking the gun and he and Hutchins were going over how she wanted to position his hand before the gun went off, saying then, “I would never point a gun at anyone and then pull the trigger.”
A search warrant was issued for Baldwin’s cell phone last month, according to court documents from Santa Fe County, New Mexico.
Officials are looking to obtain messages, call logs, digital photos and videos, as well as any private messages sent on social media platforms in relation to the production of “Rust,” the warrant said. It also looks to obtain any deleted videos, photos and messages on the phone having to do with the movie.
In a video posted on his Instagram account earlier in January, Baldwin said he was cooperating with authorities, saying the process of authorities requesting his phone for the warrant takes time and they have to “specify what exactly they want.”
The actor added any suggestion he was not complying with the search warrant was “a lie.” In the video, he went on to add he is “working toward, insisting on, demanding” the truth about what happened.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
