Judge orders search of Alec Baldwin’s phone after shooting
A search warrant has been issued for Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin’s iPhone after police said it could provide clues to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was fatally shot by Baldwin on a movie set in October.
Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office Det. Alexandria Hancock requested a warrant “for the seizure and search” of Baldwin’s phone, expressing her belief that “there may be evidence” on the device due to Baldwin using it “during and/or after the commission of the crime.”
The detective also expressed interest in “several emails and text messages sent and received regarding the movie production ‘Rust’ in the course of interviews.”
The search warrant request was approved by a New Mexico judge on Thursday, who gave police permission to seize the phone at any time of the day between 6am and 10pm.
Hutchins was killed on the set of Baldwin’s Western movie ‘Rust’ in October and director Joel Souza was hospitalized after a prop gun Baldwin was holding discharged.
Though the gun was in Baldwin’s hand when it killed Hutchins, the actor insisted in a controversial interview this month that he had never pulled the trigger.
“The trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger,” Baldwin claimed, insisting he would “never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never.”
Baldwin also told ABC News that he did not feel responsible for Hutchins’ death, saying, “Someone is responsible... but I know it's not me.”
However, script supervisor Mamie Mitchell claimed in a lawsuit that Baldwin “intentionally, without just cause or excuse, cocked and fired the loaded gun even though the upcoming scene to be filmed did not call for the cocking and firing of the firearm.”
“Mr. Baldwin chose to play Russian Roulette with a loaded gun without checking it and without having the armorer do so,” the lawsuit alleged.
