‘Rust’ weapons supervisor charged with evidence tampering
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the weapons supervisor in charge of the firearms on the set of Alec Baldwin‘s Rust, has been charged with evidence tampering.
Gutierrez-Reed was previously charged with involuntary manslaughter after Baldwin’s gun accidentally fired a live round, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, but the charges were eventually dropped after he pled not guilty. However, Gutierrez-Reed finds herself in trouble as prosecutors claimed that she “did transfer narcotics to another person with the intent to prevent the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of herself”.
Her attorney, Jason Bowles, called the statement “retaliatory and vindictive”. He added: “It is shocking that after 20 months of investigation, the special prosecutor now throws in a completely new charge against Ms Gutierrez Reed, with no prior notice or any witness statements, lab reports or evidence to support it.”
This charge comes shortly after Gutierrez-Reed was accused of using drugs and drinking heavily during the evening while Rust was in production.
Prosecutors suggested that the weapons supervisor was perhaps hungover when she loaded a live bullet into Baldwin’s gun, resulting in Hutchins’ tragic death.
However, Bowles added, “The prosecution has abandoned the idea of doing justice and getting to the actual truth apparently.” He also called the claims “character assassination.”
Rust resumed filming in April, wrapping up in May.
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