SANTA FE, N.M. — Alex Baldwin’s attorney on Thursday harshly questioned a police technician in connection with the investigation into the “Rust” shooting that killed cinematographer Helena Hutchins, suggesting agents were more interested in prosecuting Baldwin than finding the source of the live round that killed the film’s cinematographer.

On the second day of Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial, his attorney Alex Spiro questioned a New Mexico crime scene technician about a search of prop supplier PDQ Arm & Prop, which the attorney alleged may have supplied six live cartridges found on the set of the Western film.

During cross-examination, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office technician Marisa Poppel said she had not searched every box at the PDQ complex in Albuquerque and was not sure she had found every live cartridge in the building.

“Isn’t it true that you were trying to settle this case so prosecutors could focus on Alex Baldwin?” Spiro asked Poppel.

Poppel said police conducted a “proper” search because they had three officers to search the premises, where some rooms were filled to the ceiling with cardboard and plastic boxes.

Prosecutors in opening statements Wednesday accused Baldwin of breaking “key rules of firearms safety” as he “imagined himself with a real gun” in the 2021 shootings.

Hutchins died when Baldwin was asked to point his gun at her, he cocked the gun and the gun fired a live round while they were setting up a camera shot inside a movie-set church southwest of Santa Fe.

“Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March for inadvertently loading live rounds into Baldwin’s gun. Prosecutors accused Gutierrez of bringing live rounds to the set, a charge she denied.

PDQ owner Seth Kenny was a person of interest in the shooting investigation but has not been charged. He is on a list of witnesses prosecutors may call at Baldwin’s trial.

Defense attorneys say Baldwin had nothing to do with the gunfire on set and that Gutierrez and other security experts failed to catch him.

Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria Baldwin, was in court again on Thursday, behind the actor in the public gallery, next to his brother Stephen Baldwin and sister Elizabeth Kuechler.

Lawyer Gloria Allred was also in court. She is representing Hutchins’ Ukrainian parents and sister in a civil suit against Baldwin and others. She said she had no doubt that Baldwin acted negligently.

“If you point a gun at another person you should assume it’s loaded. Understand? It doesn’t say that, except for actors, they’re above the law or they’re above safety protocols,” said Allred, known for high-profile cases on women’s rights.

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