Actor Alec Baldwin has filed a civil lawsuit for malicious prosecution and civil rights violations in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.” The shooting led to an involuntary manslaughter conviction at trial last year against movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is serving out a maximum sentence of 1 1/2 years at a state penitentiary.

Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during a rehearsal for “Rust” in October 2021 while filming in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of the film, was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when it discharged, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired. Last July, a judge in Santa Fe, New Mexico dismissed a charge of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin in the death of Hutchins.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday at state district court in Santa Fe, with Baldwin alleging defamation in the suit, saying that prosecutors and investigators intentionally mishandled evidence as they pursued the case. Defendants named in the lawsuit include special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, along with three investigators from the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office and the county board of commissioners.

The lawsuit states that prosecutors and investigators targeted Baldwin for professional or political gain, adding that “defendants sought at every turn to scapegoat Baldwin for the acts and omissions of others, regardless of the evidence or the law.” The claims by Baldwin seek unspecified punitive damages, compensatory damages, attorneys’ fees and interest.

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