Alec Baldwin Turns In Phone For 'Rust' Shooting Investigation

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Alec Baldwin has turned his phone over to police in connection to an ongoing investigation into the accidental fatal shooting on the set of his film Rust in October.

A spokesperson for the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office confirmed to CNN Friday (January 14) that Baldwin gave his phone to law enforcement officials in Suffolk County, New York -- where he resides -- who have assisted New Mexico -- where the shooting took place -- in locating 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 via CNN. "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."

In a post shared on his verified Instagram account Sunday (January 9), Baldwin addressed the issue of his cell phone in relation to the investigation.

“Any suggestion that I am not complying with requests or orders or demands or search warrants about my phone" is "a lie," Baldwin said in the video while sitting behind the wheel of his vehicle.

The 63-year-old didn't address who, if anyone, was suggesting that he wasn't complying with the ongoing investigation, but said authorities don't have his phone because they haven't gone through proper legal channels to obtain it and said those channels are more complicated for a subject who lives in a different state.

"Someone from another state can't come to you and say give me your phone...they've got to go through the state you live in," Baldwin said. "That is a process that takes time. They have to specify what they want."

Last month, Baldwin said he "didn't pull the trigger" during the accidental fatal shooting on the set of his film Rust in October, but cocked it and the firearm unexpectedly discharged a live bullet when he released the hammer.

During an exclusive interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that aired on December 2, Baldwin said director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, 42, who was killed in the accidental shooting, was directing his moves leading up to the weapon being fired.

"She's guiding me through how she wants me to hold the gun for this angle," Baldwin said via ABC News. "I'm holding the gun where she told me to hold it, which ended up being aimed right below her armpit."
"So, I take the gun and I start to cock the gun. I'm not going to pull the trigger," Baldwin continued. "And I cock the gun, I go, 'Can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that?' And then I let go of the hammer of the gun, and the gun goes off. I let go of the hammer of the gun – the gun goes off."
"So you never pulled the trigger?" Stephanopoulos asked.
"No, no, no, no, no," Baldwin said. "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them. Never. Never. That was the training that I had."

Lisa Torraco, an attorney for Rust assistant director Dave Halls, said she was told by Halls that Baldwin did not pull the trigger on the prop gun during the accidental shooting, which killed Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza, 48, in October.

Stephanopoulos asked Baldwin about a lawsuit filed last month by Rust script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, which accused Baldwin, who is named as a defendant in the civil suit, of "playing Russian roulette" prior to the death of the cinematographer.

"There are some who say you're never supposed to point a gun on anyone on a set no matter what," Stephanopoulos asked the actor.
"Unless the person is the cinematographer, who's directing me at where to point the gun for her camera angle," Baldwin responded. "I didn't point the gun at her, and she said, 'Hey, man, don't point the gun at me.' I pointed the gun in a direction she wanted."
"Do you feel guilt?," Stephanopoulos asked.
"No. No," Baldwin said. "I feel that someone is responsible for what happened, and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me."

In November, the New York Times reported the gun involved in the shooting was left unattended for two hours prior to accident taking place.

Jason Bowles, an attorney representing Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, told the Times the gun was left on a tray for about two hours after Gutierrez-Reed loaded it with six dummy rounds, who took the ammunition from a box labeled "dummies," which are rounds that contain no gunpowder and are used to resemble bullets during filming.

Gutierrez-Reed's other attorney, Robert Gorence, said the armorer loaded three firearms set to be used later during the filming session, including the .45 Long Colt used by Baldwin, and left the guns encased in socks to prevent anyone who happened to pass by from handling them before going on a lunch break and leaving the weapons unattended.


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