Official: Alec Baldwin surrenders phone for shooting probe

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Alec Baldwin has surrendered his cellphone to authorities as part of the investigation into a fatal shooting on a New Mexico film set last fall, a law enforcement official said.

Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Juan Rios said Baldwin’s phone was turned over Friday to law enforcement officials in Suffolk County, New York, who will gather the information from the phone and provide it to Santa Fe County investigators, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

Sheriff’s office investigators in December obtained a search warrant for the phone’s contents in their investigation into the Oct. 11 shooting on the “Rust” film set at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe.

Baldwin was an actor and co-producer, and the search warrant for his phone sought text messages, images, videos, calls or any other information related to the movie.



FILE - Alec Baldwin performs emcee duties at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award Gala at New York Hilton Midtown on Dec. 9, 2021, in New York. Baldwin has surrendered his cellphone as part of the investigation into a fatal shooting on a New Mexico film set last fall. A Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesman says Baldwin’s phone was turned over Friday, Jan. 14, 2022, to authorities in New York's Suffolk County and that information from the phone will be provided to investigators. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-new-york-new-mexico-1e593978d08df74192f7f3610a94bcc2

[jimfields33]

1. About time.

I am sure he had his lawyer go through every area of the phone.

[Kingofalldems]

14. WTH do you mean 'about time'?

Do you have evidence he withheld his phone?

[cadoman]

16. I think poster meant why did it take investigators so long to demand it?

You'd think they'd be scouring the set for evidence ASAP, and Baldwin being the admitted shooter/gun holder/whatever he should have been under extra scrutiny.

[former9thward]

20. They didn't wait.

They put out a search warrant for it a month ago.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said in a press release Thursday that they applied for a search warrant asking for the actor's phone on Dec. 16, and the request was approved by a judge that same day. Detectives then served the warrant to Baldwin's lawyers via email, who they say acknowledged they got the message.

The sheriff's office then got the Santa Fe District Attorney's Office involved when Baldwin "had not immediately provided his phone pursuant to the initial search warrant," per the release. The DA's office then took over the efforts to retrieve the phone "on a consent basis" because of "jurisdictional concerns," they stated.

According to the press release, investigators were told on Dec. 20 that negotiations were underway to get the cell phone and its contents, however, as of Thursday, "the cell phone has not been turned over to authorities."

https://people.com/movies/alec-baldwin-still-hasnt-given-cell-phone-to-investigators-sheriffs-say/

[cadoman]

31. excellent summary, thank you

But not a good look for Baldwin at all. I guess the charitable thing to imagine would be that he had matters unrelated to the killing that he didn't want getting out, and since legally he didn't have to immediately share it, he didn't.

[calimary]

33. He was a producer on the film.

So I’d expect most of it would be producer-stuff, keeping costs down, location stuff, logistics, rules & regs (probably a few “how-do-we-get-around-but-avoid-liability/union issues, production ins-‘n’-outs, etc.

[Yandex]

2. I expect him to be criminally charged

I'm not a lawyer,.... however, I play one online.

[TimeToGo]

3. Charged for . . . ?

[Yandex]

4. Involuntary Manslaughter n/t

[TimeToGo]

7. Doesn't sound likely

Unless they have some evidence to suggest he did something that violated normal safety standards (do they?). Or there is something he did/didn't do in his role as a a producer.

But we will see.

[Yandex]

11. I don't believe there was any reason for him to have pointed that gun at the woman he shot

She was not part of the action or the movie, it wasn't in the script. Why did he point the gun at her? That right there is very troublesome.

[Roy Rolling]

12. "In the script"

What “script”? Show the “script” that’s being mentioned.

And charging someone with a crime based on such loose speculation isn’t helpful.

It’s a tragic accident at this stage until evidence proves otherwise. Quoting an imaginary “script” doesn’t reveal evidence, which is what’s been missing. In that absence, tabloid stories fill the void. Totally normal, but not helpful to repeat.

[Yandex]

13. I'm only opining a charge may be made

Why was Baldwin pointing the gun at that woman? Was it necessary? Did it have anything to do with the shooting of the movie?

Why would anyone ever point a gun at someone unless there was some kind of need to do that?

[tblue37]

17. If they wanted a scene with the shot being filmed from the front, and she was

standing Behind the camera. . . .

[C Moon]

25. Thanks tblue37 for keeping the Fox News view points under fire. nt

[mahina]

22. Welcome to DU.

Hmm.

I haven’t been on a movie set where people are goofing around myself but I know a few folks who have, often. I think unless you have and you can speak to how people get ready on movie sets for scenes involving guns maybe neither of us should cast aspersions on anybody’s asparagus.

Would there be any reason to suspect that a prop gun was armed with real ammo?

[Yandex]

23. I would assume any gun I am holding anywhere at any time is loaded with real bullets n/t

[Roy Rolling]

27. I can speak under those criteria

I worked as a set medic on movies and TV for years in situations just like this. I know the procedure, I know the shortcuts. I know what spec scripts are, director scripts, shootings scripts, and the countless revisions.

There are very strict guidelines for the handling of firearms—blank guns included—on a location.

There are many reasons the DP was behind the camera and such. It’s a tragic accident.

[ripcord]

29. Ask yourself why the armorer who was responsible for gun safety was assigned other duties

She wasn't on the set at the time of the shooting, she was working as a prop assistant.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

34. Multiple jobs, to save money.

It's not like "armorer" is a full-time job, unless you're the armorer of a company of infantry.

Still, anything involving a gun should go through the armorer's hands, with the armorer doing full inspections. If the armorer is not on the set, all guns should have been in a safe.

I think some producers are at fault, hiring an untrained armorer, or not giving the armorer proper authority.

[Rocknation]

8. IF recklessness and/or negligence

that is known -- or should have been known -- could result in death, can be proven.


Rocknation

[underpants]

5. He was an Executive Producer

[C Moon]

24. Silly.

[Lokilooney]

35. Nobody was charged in Brandon Lee's death

Most accidental deaths on movie sets seem to be treated as such, I assume they become an insurance issue after the investigation.

[Rocknation]

6. You can't just get a search warrant from the phone company anymore?

This happened in October -- more than enough time to delete whatever's on it.


Rocknation

[Sneederbunk]

9. Anything to distract from the responsibility of the armorer.

[Farmer-Rick]

10. Yeah, I don't understand why they seem to be protecting

The people who were responsible for ensuring gun safety on set?

They were hired to do one job and they couldn't even do that right. I guess we should be grateful more people didn't die.

[MustLoveBeagles]

18. +1

[ripcord]

28. The armorer isn't responsible

What we need to find out is what idiot decided that the armorer should have been working as a prop assistant instead of being on the set when a gun was being handled. The gun was left on a cart outside the set unattended until the assistant producer can out to get it. I think the reason they wanted Baldwin's phone is to find out who's decision that was, as an executive producer on the set it could have been his.

[Kingofalldems]

15. Right wingers and their troll minions hate him.

He made fun of their hero Donald Trump.

[MustLoveBeagles]

19. This is true

Though right wingers have have hated him for a long time.

[mahina]

21. That man gave me hope on many dark Saturday nights. Me and lots of folks.

It’s a horrible thing that happened. Whoever put that bullet in that gun is at least half responsible.

Why would anyone do that?

[C Moon]

26. I don't blame him for waiting. There are evil people out there.

If you're going to hand over your phone in a situation like this, make damn sure it's done in a 100% legal manner. Don't just give it to some deputy who asks for it.

[twodogsbarking]

30. Commenters know all. Do not question.

[Vic-purria]

32. Trump hated Baldwin for SNL mimics

I think we all know Trump hated Baldwin for ridiculing him on SNL. If you have been paying attention to news, you may notice that all the people who gave Trump any difficulites about his character, those people are being targeted by the GOP who are worshipers of DJT. Trump is going after those people he hated while he was in control of the White House. They went after the attorney for Stormy Daniels as well. He's not practicing law right now. Trump is vindictive and he has proven it time and again.