“Rust” assistant director who handed Alec Baldwin the prop pistol that fired at a film set in October and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, must sit down for an interview with state investigators, a judge ruled .
New Mexico District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid on Friday granted a request from the state Department of Environment’s Office of Occupational Safety and Health to issue a subpoena for David Halls, according to local media.
Investigators have previously detailed in search warrants how Halls “grabbed” the gun from a car and then yelled “cold weapon” to indicate he was safe when he handed it over to the low-budget Western lead actor on October 21 in the set of Santa Fe.
The weapon “was fired by actor Alec Baldwin,” killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza, according to the affidavits.
Halls did not believe the weapon was loaded, according to investigators.
Security officials have tried to interview Halls twice since Nov. 2, but he refused both times. His attorney said he would not agree to an interview until the criminal investigation into the incident is complete, a compliance officer wrote in an affidavit in support of the subpoena request.
The subpoena request said an interview with Halls is necessary because, as deputy director, he was responsible for set security and knew who was present during the shooting and who had been in contact with the weapon.
Rebecca Roose, undersecretary of cabinet for the Department of the Environment, told The Santa Fe New Mexican that Halls’ interview is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, but that the judge could change the date.
In an earlier interview with Fox News on Nov. 1, Halls’ attorney, Lisa Torraco, denied that her client gave the gun to Baldwin.
“This idea that my client took the gun and handed it to Baldwin didn’t happen at all,” he said, before backing off and dodging follow-up questions from host Martha MacCallum.
“The gunsmith brought the gun,” Torraco said. “The gunsmith opens the firearm … [Halls] I didn’t load it. “
Torraco told KOB-TV on Friday that Halls would cooperate with state officials.
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