Actor Alec Baldwin has denied rumors that he is not cooperating with the continuing investigation into the on-set shooting death of killed 42-year-old Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. The incident stunned both the public and the film industry alike, prompting many celebrities to take steps or issue calls for more on-set safety protocols.
The investigation into Hutchins’ death has yet to result in any charges being laid, but Baldwin, who remains a part of the investigation, has recently been ordered to surrender his phone in a warrant issued by Santa Fe police. The phone is reportedly required by police to search for videos, calls, text messages, photos, and any information that could be useful in the Rust investigation. Baldwin has been cooperative so far in this process, voluntarily speaking with the authorities directly after the incident occurred. He has, however, previously claimed that he didn’t pull the trigger on the pistol and that he would never point a loaded gun at anyone and pull the trigger. This, of course, creates an entirely new set of questions in the search to understand how such a horrible mishap could be permitted to happen.
The latest development comes weeks after Baldwin was first told to hand on over his phone, with the 63-year-old now denying rumors that he isn’t cooperating with the investigation. According to Deadline, Baldwin has refused to hand over his phone to Santa Fe police, disputing the legalities of their demands, which he clearly feels are a violation of his privacy. Baldwin has also denied that he’s been unwilling to comply with police orders and requests, calling any such suggestions “a lie”:
“They can’t just go through your phone and take your photos, or your love letters to your wife, or what have you. Any suggestion that I am not complying with requests or orders or demands or search warrants about my phone, that’s bullshit, that’s a lie.”
While it’s understandable that having personal property closely examined by the authorities is undesirable, it’s a little strange that Baldwin believes he should somehow be kept exempt from the investigation. Regardless of whether he pointed the gun at Hutchins or not, the fact of the matter remains that he was one of the few people present at the core of the incident. To refuse to hand over the phone is not a luxury that any other potential suspect in a serious crime could consider. It’s also unclear at present if Baldwin has in fact found a temporary loophole on the warrant by insisting that New Mexico police need to go through New York authorities in order for them to search through his phone.
It remains to be seen where this case goes, but in some ways, it’s begun to feel that as time es, the number of questions grow while no answers emerge. This prolonged wait for any sort of definite explanation is undoubtedly grueling for the family and friends of Hutchins. And as Alec Baldwin currently faces lawsuits by Rust crew , it looks as though the issues that this terrible incident has created have the ability to become even more troubling for the one-time Oscar nominee.
Source: Deadline
