Actor Alec Baldwin has surrendered his cellphone to authorities as they investigate the fatal shooting of a cinematographer that occurred last fall on the set of the western film "Rust" in New Mexico, almost a month after a warrant was issued for the device, a law enforcement official said.
Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Juan Rios said Baldwin's phone was turned over Friday to law enforcement officials in Suffolk County, New York, who will gather the information from the phone and provide it to Santa Fe County investigators, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
Investigators in December obtained a search warrant for the phone's contents as part of their investigation into the Oct. 11 shooting on the "Rust" film set at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe.
Baldwin was an actor and co-producer, and the search warrant for his phone sought text messages, images, videos, calls or any other information related to the movie.
Authorities have said Baldwin’s prop revolver discharged a live round during a rehearsal, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin’s lawyer, Aaron Dyer, said his client had been cooperating with authorities throughout the course of the investigation, and the delay in providing information from the phone was no indication otherwise.
"Alec voluntarily provided his phone to the authorities this morning so they can finish their investigation,” Dyer said Friday in a statement. "But this matter isn’t about his phone, and there are no answers on his phone."
Baldwin, who has denied any wrongdoing in the shooting, and said in an Instagram message on Jan. 8 that New Mexico needed to go through New York law enforcement and that the process of specifying exactly what is needed took time.
"They can’t just go through your phone and take your photos, or your love letters to your wife, or what have you," he said.
Baldwin has said he didn’t know the gun he was holding contained a live round when it went off. Investigators are trying to find the source of the live round.
No charges have been filed in the shooting.
