Prosecutors in the trial of Rust armourer Hannah Gutierrez have focused on how live rounds were brought onto the set of the film, questioning a detective who said Gutierrez was mistaken when she said the live round used in a fatal shooting came from an ammunition box provided by a props supplier.
On day four of Gutierrez's involuntary manslaughter trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico, jurors saw a video of a police interview with her on 21 October 2021.
That was the day Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died, struck by a bullet Gutierrez loaded into a revolver that star Alec Baldwin was rehearsing with on the western's New Mexico set. Baldwin's separate involuntary manslaughter trial is set for 10 July.
Live rounds have been forbidden on film sets for over a century.
Prosecutors allege Gutierrez was unprofessional and unknowingly brought six live rounds on set and failed to spot them.
In the video, the armourer tells detectives the white cardboard box she drew a live round from was provided by props supplier Seth Kenney about a week earlier.
Asked by New Mexico state prosecutor Kari Morrissey on Tuesday whether the statement was correct, Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office detective Alexandra Hancock said it was not.
Later, in a 9 November 2021 interview seen by Reuters, Gutierrez told Hancock she brought the box on set, then immediately added that the tray of rounds inside it could have been switched from another box.
Gutierrez's lawyers say she is the scapegoat for a rushed production where producers such as Baldwin allegedly ignored firearm safety.
She has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge as well as one of evidence tampering for allegedly handing off a bag of cocaine to a crew member on 21 October 2021 after the shooting to stop police from finding it. Each felony charge carries up to 18 months in prison.
Baldwin has said firearms safety was the responsibility of weapons handlers, not an actor, while producers deny they ignored Gutierrez's requests for extra firearms training for Baldwin.
Also on Tuesday, medical examiner Heather Jarrell testified that medics incorrectly inserted a breathing tube into Hutchins and it took 1-1.5 hours to get her to a hospital.
Asked by defence lawyer Jason Bowles if Hutchins could have survived with speedier treatment, Jarrell replied "potentially".
Source: Reuters
