‘Rust’ Armorer Allegedly Handed Off Bag of Cocaine After Police Interview
‘HIGHLY INCULPATORY’
A witness’ testimony supports that she “transferred the cocaine to avoid prosecution and prevent law enforcement from obtaining highly inculpatory evidence,” prosecutors say.
Last week, prosecutors charged embattled Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed with evidence tampering for allegedly transferring narcotics shortly after Alec Baldwin’s fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer. Now, new court filings show an unidentified witness, referred to as SI, claims the narcotics was a “small bag of cocaine” that Gutierrez-Reed handed off to SI after an interview with police on the day of the shooting. The witness’ testimony “strongly” supports that Gutierrez-Reed “transferred the cocaine to avoid prosecution and prevent law enforcement from obtaining highly inculpatory evidence,” according to prosecutors. Prosecutors have alleged Gutierrez-Reed was drinking and smoking weed during production, and was hungover when she put a live round in Baldwin’s prop gun. Prosecutors asked to keep the witness’ name private to avoid “economic reprisal” and “intimidations, annoyance, and embarrassment.” Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney accused the state of “underhanded, secret, reprehensible tactics” and called the charge “character assassination.”
