A former 'Rust' prosecutor who resigned prior to the dismissal of Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter case has spoken out about her decision and the actor's 'reckless' behavior on set.
Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, who stepped down just before the charges were thrown out, claims to have seen evidence of Baldwin engaging in 'horseplay' with the gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
This alleged horseplay included Baldwin using another person as a target for blanks, according to Johnson.
She emphasized the seriousness of such actions, telling Chris Cuomo on NewsNation's Cuomo, 'You don't do that with real guns.'
Johnson insists her resignation was not dramatic. Rather, it was because she felt morally obligated to given the new evidence she uncovered.
A former 'Rust' prosecutor who resigned prior to the dismissal of Alec Baldwin 's involuntary manslaughter case has spoken out about her decision and the actor's 'reckless' behavior on set
Erlinda Ocampo Johnson (pictured), who stepped down just before the charges were thrown out, claims to have seen evidence of Baldwin engaging in 'horseplay' with the gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins
'I left because I learned about this evidence when the public learned about it yesterday, late afternoon.'
This evidence, withheld from the defense according to the judge, reportedly included ammunition given to police by a crew member.
'I came on the case towards the end of April, so I had to get up to speed. I was not involved in the Hannah Gutierrez case at all. And so I was not aware that this individual had taken this ammunition to the sheriff's department and provided it to the officers. I learned all of that yesterday.'
She emphasizes her ethical and moral obligations as a prosecutor, which include ensuring all evidence is presented.
Discovering the withheld evidence, Johnson felt compelled to withdraw before the court hearing.
'When the motion hearing began, my position was… we have an obligation as prosecutors, we have an obligation not only to the people, but to the defendant and our obligation is to make sure that all the evidence is turned over,' she said.
'We don't get to decide what the defense is going to be. Our job is to ensure transparency, and to ensure that the defendant has everything that the prosecution has gathered. What they do with it, that's up to them.'
When asked if she had any regrets, Johnson said, 'Did I believe that there was some inappropriate behavior with regard to handling this gun? I do.'
Baldwin himself reportedly became emotional when the judge dismissed the charges permanently.
In a statement he shared on Instagram, the actor broke his silence following the dropped charges.
'There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now,' he wrote on Saturday.
'To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family.'
This ends a nearly three-year legal saga following the fatal shooting on the set of the movie 'Rust' in October 2021.
The film's armorer, Hannah Guttierez-Reed, was previously convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Baldwin's charges were initially filed in 2023 but later dropped, only to be re-filed in January 2024.
