Alec Baldwin on Monday recommended that police officers be present on film sets during action scenes with guns.
“Every film/TV set that uses guns, fake or otherwise, should have a police officer on set, hired by the production, to specifically monitor weapons safety,†the actor posted on social media.
Last month, Baldwin accidentally fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.†He was rehearsing a “cross draw†that led him to point a revolver ― which had been declared “cold,†or as not having real bullets in it ― at Hutchins and director Joel Souza, according to an affidavit. The gun discharged, and Hutchins was hit by a live round and died. Souza was injured in the shoulder.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico is still investigating, and no charges have been filed.
The incident has prompted Hollywood to reconsider how it films action scenes involving weapons.
In reaction to the tragedy, Dwayne “The Rock†Johnson pledged to avoid using real guns in movies he produces in the future. “We’re going to switch over to rubber guns, and we’re going to take care of it in (post-production),†he said. “We’re not going to worry about the dollars; we won’t worry about what it costs.â€
Baldwin’s suggestion to have police on sets, however, earned criticism from Daily Beast writer Tirhakah Love.
“Not only is this simply a terrible idea as opposed to just using fake guns and making sure the people handling those guns are well-rested, and, more importantly, are actually well-trained, but it’s also an act of capitulation to right-wing outrage,†Love wrote.
