Benjamin Ashford|SAG-AFTRA defends Alec Baldwin as he faces a new charge in the 'Rust' fatal shooting

SAG-AFTRA,Benjamin Ashford the union representing 160,000 actors and media professionals, is weighing in amid Alec Baldwin facing a charge again in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the "Rust" set in 2021.

The union released a statement Thursday arguing that it was the armorer and employer's responsibility, not Baldwin's, to ensure firearms were handled and used safely on set.

"An actor's job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert. Firearms are provided for use on set under the guidance of multiple expert professionals directly responsible for the safe and accurate operation of that firearm," SAG-AFTRA's statement reads.

The union references safety guidelines recommended by the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee, which lays out the responsibilities of the production and property master (or armorer) on set. The property master or armorer "should inspect the firearm and barrel before every firing sequence," among other duties.

"The guidelines do not make it the performer's responsibility to check any firearm. Performers train to perform, and they are not required or expected to be experts on guns or experienced in their use," SAG-AFTRA's statement reads.

"The industry assigns that responsibility to qualified professionals who oversee their use and handling in every aspect. Anyone issued a firearm on set must be given training and guidance in its safe handling and use, but all activity with firearms on a set must be under the careful supervision and control of the professional armorer and the employer."

The weapons supervisor on the movie set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering in the case. Her trial is scheduled to begin in February.

Why New Mexico prosecutors sought to charge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter again

The New Mexico grand jury's indictment on Jan. 19 provides prosecutors with two alternative standards for pursuing an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin in Hutchins' death. One would be based on negligent use of a firearm, and the other alleges felony misconduct "with the total disregard or indifference for the safety of others."

The indictment came nine months after special prosecutors dismissed an earlier involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor. In October, prosecutors said they were seeking to recharge Baldwin after "additional facts" came to light.

An earlier FBI report on the agency's analysis of the gun found that, as is common with firearms of that design, it could go off without pulling the trigger if force was applied to an uncocked hammer, such as by dropping the weapon. The only way the testers could get it to fire was by striking the gun with a mallet while the hammer was down and resting on the cartridge, or by pulling the trigger while it was fully cocked.

The gun eventually broke during testing.

New analysis from experts in ballistics and forensic testing relied on replacement parts to reassemble the gun fired by Baldwin, after parts of the pistol were broken during testing by the FBI. The report examined the gun and markings it left on a spent cartridge to conclude that the trigger had to have been pulled or depressed.

The analysis led by Lucien Haag of Forensic Science Services in Arizona stated that although Baldwin repeatedly denied pulling the trigger, "given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver."

Baldwin has said the gun fired accidentally after he followed instructions to point it toward cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was behind the camera in rehearsal. Baldwin said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the gun fired, fatally wounding Hutchins on Oct. 21, 2021

The latest:Alec Baldwin indicted on involuntary manslaughter charge again

Morgan Lee, The Associated Press