Alec Baldwin calls for police on film sets to monitor gun safety

Actor Alec Baldwin of the film “LymeLife” poses during the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival Sept. 8, 2008. Image: Reuters/Mark Blinch

LOS ANGELES  — As Hollywood considers new safety measures following the fatal shooting during filming of Western movie “Rust,” actor Alec Baldwin said on Monday he believed film and TV productions should hire police officers to monitor weapons on sets.

Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Oct. 21 after being told the gun he was rehearsing with on the “Rust” set in New Mexico was “cold,” or safe to use, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities are trying to determine how a real bullet would wind up in the gun handed to Baldwin. Attorneys for the “Rust” armorer, who oversaw weapons on the set, said she believed she had loaded it with dummy rounds that were incapable of firing.

Since the incident, producers and crew members have been weighing whether new steps should be taken to prevent a similar tragedy in the future. Baldwin said he believed productions should hire police to make sure guns used in filming are safe.

“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,” Baldwin posted on Twitter.

Others have called for banning real guns from movie and TV sets. Actor Dwayne Johnson said last week that his future productions would only use rubber guns during filming. JB

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