Rust: Alec Baldwin had 'no control' of emotions on set, prosecutors allege

The 66-year-old actor is set to go on trial for involuntary manslaughter in July

Prosecutors are set to argue that Alec Baldwin was unable to control his emotions on the film set of Rust where a cinematographer was fatally shot.

They will also argue that he "shamelessly lied" and changed his story after the event.

In October 2021 Halyna Hutchins was accidentally shot on the set by a gun that Mr Baldwin was holding.

Mr Baldwin is set to go on trial for involuntary manslaughter in July, a charge he denies.

In a court filing on Monday, prosecutor Kari Morrissey alleged Baldwin's unpredictable behaviour contributed to the tragedy and that he kept changing his story in its aftermath.

"Mr Baldwin was frequently screaming and cursing at himself, at crew members or at no one and not for any particular reason.

"To watch Mr Baldwin's conduct on the set of Rust is to witness a man who has absolutely no control of his own emotions and absolutely no concern for how his conduct affects those around him," Morrissey wrote.

"Witnesses have testified that it was this exact conduct that contributed to safety compromises on set," the prosecutor added.

BBC News has asked legal representatives for Mr Baldwin for comment on the latest court filing.

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The 66-year-old actor was practising firing a Colt .45 pistol before filming a scene for Rust, a forthcoming Western filmed near Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October 2021.

But the gun went off, with a live round fatally striking 42-year-old Ms Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

He has maintained he did not pull the trigger and only drew back its hammer.

The prosecutor said this was "absurd" and alleged that the actor did not claim this when he was first interviewed but had done so a month later.

"Every time Mr Baldwin spoke, a different version of events emerged from his mouth, and his later statements contradicted his previous statements," the prosecutor said.

The film set weapons handler, Hannah Gutierrez, who loaded a gun for actor Alec Baldwin before it fired was convicted in March of involuntary manslaughter.

The 26-year-old faces up to 18 months in jail. She will be sentenced later.

In March lawyers for Mr Baldwin asked a judge to dismiss involuntary manslaughter charges against him and accused prosecutors of "unfairly stacking the deck" against the Emmy award-winning actor.