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Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial is in full swing, and a cop indicated that the star pulled the trigger on the set of Rust, resulting in the death of Halyna Hutchins in 2021.
Deadline reports that Officer Nicholas LeFleur of the Santa Fe County Police Department was the day's first witness and gave the damning testimony.
Questioning from Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey occurred, and the officer talked about his experience as a member of the Sheriff's department and how he arrived on the scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch soon after the shooting occurred.
LeFleur described his interactions with Baldwin as he talked with the actor to figure out what happened. That said, the worrisome part came when he mentioned to Morrisey what the actor said about the gun.
“I believe he told me he was holding the gun,” LeFleur said about his conversation with the star.
“One of the guys told me Baldwin pulled the trigger,” he added about what a crew member told him at the scene.
The actor has insisted that the 1880s Colt .45 went off in his hand. If proven that he pulled the trigger, this could be a game changer for the prosecution.
How Alec Baldwin's trial started
Previously, on the morning of the trial, the prosecution stated that Baldwin “violated…set safety rules.”
“After the shooting, the defendant began to claim he did not pull the trigger,” special prosecutor Erlinda Johnson said during opening statements. “The evidence will show, ladies and gentlemen, that's not possible.”
Johnson added, “That gun the defendant had asked to be assigned, worked perfectly fine, as it was designed. One of the main problems that afternoon of October 21 was that the defendant didn't do a gun safety check with that inexperienced armor.”
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The “inexperienced armor” was in reference to Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is now incarcerated.
“He pointed the gun at another human being, cocked the hammer, and pulled that trigger with reckless disregard for Ms. Hutchins' safety,” Johnson continued.
Baldwin's lead lawyer, Alex Spiro, flipped the script.
“The most critical issue in this case is how a real bullet got on a movie set,” Spiro said.
The trial centers around Hutchins, who was killed, and Rust's director, Joel Souza, who was injured on the set when the Colt .45 shot off a live round during rehearsal.
Baldwin was recharged with involuntary manslaughter in January, a year after he was charged the first time. He's entered a not-guilty plea.
The trial will last for a week and a half, and Alec Baldwin will have to attend daily. If convicted, he could spend up to 18 months behind bars and face massive fines.
It will be interesting to see how this goes as the trial starts. One has to wonder how live rounds made it on set, whether Baldwin is ultimately responsible for the gun's safety, and if he did indeed pull the trigger.
