Rust production wanted to fire ‘difficult to work with’ armourer before Alec Baldwin shooting
“Rust” first assistant director David Halls testified during the trial, and choked up when he recalled the shooting of Halyna Hutchins
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“Rust” prop master Sarah Zachry testified during the trial and admitted to a defence attorney that she had previously voiced a desire to both fire Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and — after the shooting of Halyna Hutchins — see her sent to prison.
After the cross-exam, Ms Zachry told the prosection that the armourer was not easy to work with and confirmed that Gutierrez-Reed had called her a “c***,” which the prosecution argued is likely why Ms Zachry wanted to fire her.
Gutierrez-Reed is facing involuntary manslaughter charges in the fatal shooting of Ms Hutchins. Actor and producer Alec Baldwin is also facing involuntary manslaughter charges related to the shooting. His trial will begin on 9 July.
The prosecution seeks to prove that Gutierrez-Reed was negligent in her duties on set and that proper protocol was in place during the investigation of the shooting. The state claims the armourer was “sloppy” and had left guns unattended on the set.
Gutierrez-Reed is also facing an evidence tampering charge for allegedly asking a friend to hide cocaine for her while police were investigating the shooting.
Gutierrez-Reed faces up to three years in prison if she is convicted.
‘Had our armourer and first AD done their jobs, we wouldn’t be here, a woman would not be dead, a mother would not be gone’
The defence is now cross-examining Cherilyn Schafer, the medic who worked on “Rust.”
The defence brought up that Ms Schafer has filed a lawsuit against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, among other crewmembers on the set of Rust, alleging that she was truamatised by what occurred on set. The defence and asked if she thought testifying would help her obtain money for those lawsuits.
Ms Schafer said she was not there for her civil trial, she was there for Gutierrez-Reed’s criminal trial.
“Had our armourer and first AD done their jobs, we wouldn’t be here, a woman would not be dead, a mother would not be gone,” Ms Schafer said.
‘Rust’ medic says she’s testifying to try to secure safety changes in the film industry
Cherilyn Schafer said she is testifying because she wants to see change in the film industry.
In a tearful statement, she explained that she wanted to see more substantive safety measures introduced to the film industry to prevent tragedy’s like Halyna Hutchins’ death from happening again.
She said on a typical set there would need to be 300 people on set before she could feasibly convince a production to bring on another medic.
Ms Schafer said she had two patients with severe wounds and had no additional resources to assit her.
She said she has a son the same age as Halyna’s, and couldn’t help but think of what happened.
“All I could think of was how I wasn’t able to save his mother,” she said, crying.
The judge said she had not expected that testimony and had it struck from the record. The witness was then dismissed.
‘Rust’ script supervisor called to testify
Mamie Mitchell, the script supervisor on “Rust” is testifying.
She said she has quit the film industry since the incident on the film and is now working as a substittue teacher.
Ms Mitchell said she had worked as a script supervisor for 42 years, and had worked on 74 films and television shows.
‘Rust’ scrip supervisor said Gutierrez-Reed was not professional, had a disorganised prop cart
Mamie Mitchell, the script supervisor on “Rust,” said Hannah Gutierrez-Reed did not “present” the way she was used seeing armourers on film sets.
“I found her to be inexperienced and did not present in the way I’m used to seeing professional armourers — union armourers — present on a film set,” she said. “The armourers are very quiet, focused, and very organised.”
She also describd Gutierrez-Reed’s prop cart as “messy”, like the “drawer in your kitchen where you put stuff.”
‘Rust’ script supervisor recalls the moment Halyna Hutchins was shot
Mamie Mitchell, the script supervisor on “Rust,” described the moment Halyna Hutchins was shot.
She said there was an “explosion” and a shock in the church, and then she saw the aftermath of the gunshot.
“I heard gutteral moaning, and my director was crab crawling backwards, and I turned around to look at Alec, and when I did I saw [Ms Hutchins] falling, and I ran,” she said.
She ran out of the church “to get help and away from danger,” and she called 911.
Ms Mitchell said she said “two people have accidentally been shot,” and explained that she called it an “accident” because she did not want the police to think there was an active or mass shooting occurring on set.
‘Rust’ script supervisor says accidental discharge on set ‘almost blew my ears out'
Mamie Mitchell, the script supervisor on “Rust,” is now being cross-exmained.
The defence for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed asked Ms Mitchell if she was present for two misfires that occurred on set, which she described earlier in the proceeding.
Ms Mitchell seemed annoyed by the question.
“I was there, it almost blew my ears out,” she said.
The defence then asked if the scene during which Halyna Hutchins was shot required Alec Baldwin to pull his weapon and point it toward the camera.
Ms Mitchell said that was not what had been discussed prior to rehearsing the scene.