Watch the chaotic moments after the shooting on the set of 'Rust' 1:29
(CNN) --
The family of Halyna Hutchins is demanding the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in New Mexico remove the video it posted of her "dying on the church floor" in the moments after she was were shot on the set of the movie "Rust" last year, according to a letter written by the family's attorney obtained by CNN.
Hutchins, the film's cinematographer, was killed and director Joel Souza was injured when a gun wielding actor Alec Baldwin went off while they were rehearsing a scene at New Mexico's Bonanza Creek Ranch in October.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office on Monday released several files from its ongoing investigation into the shooting, including photos, recordings and reports, according to authorities.
Video of Hutchins' death is included in the released data.
In the letter to the sheriff's office, Brian Panish, an attorney for the Hutchins family, said the disclosure of the evidence has caused "irreparable" harm to her husband, Matthew Hutchins, and their son.
"Your office trampled on the Hutchins' constitutional rights," the letter, dated April 27, says.
"Without any discussion, your office unilaterally determined that Mr. Hutchins would have access to the materials for review first thing on the morning of Monday, April 25 before being released to the public later, giving him less than one business day to review the materials." materials".
advertising
Due to the "enormous volume of material," that was "an entirely inappropriate time," and the family was not given the opportunity to "request that discretion be exercised and sensitive material redacted," Panish wrote.
They ask for respect for the family of the victim
In addition, according to the letter, the sheriff's office did not redact Hutchins' private and personal information.
Panish wrote that his client fears the video of his wife's last moments could be used by thugs to emotionally abuse his son.
The letter demands that the sheriff's office respect the Hutchins family's "constitutional rights to dignity, privacy, respect and fairness hereafter," and that the office remove the images of Hutchins "dying on the floor of the church".
Halyna Hutchins attends the SAGindie Sundance Filmmakers Reception at Cafe Terigo on January 28, 2019 in Park City, Utah.
"While the damage from the video's release is irreparable, removing the video will end your office's complicity in causing further harm," the letter says.
CNN has contacted the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office to confirm receipt of the letter and for further comment.
Search warrant issued for Alec Baldwin's phone in connection to 'Rust' shooting
During an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" program
,
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adán Mendoza defended the publication of the material.
"We are in response to a public records request, where we are required to release the information, and it was also an effort to be transparent in the investigation," Mendoza said.
The investigation is "close to completion," he told ABC, adding that his office is awaiting analysis of ammunition, latent prints, DNA, a medical examiner's report and some cell phone data analysis from the FBI.
His office expects this to be over in "weeks and not months," he told GMA.
Released Evidence Includes "Troublesome Text," Sheriff Says
Evidence files released by the sheriff's office also contained text messages that "Rust" gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez Reed shared with an ammunition supplier for an earlier 2021 film -- not "Rust" -- in which she claimed that he planned to shoot live ammunition while on set.
Mendoza called the text messages "concerning" during an interview with NBC's "Today"
show
on Tuesday and said investigators are looking into who brought live ammunition to the "Rust" set.
Alec Baldwin wants to know how a real bullet got to the 'Rust' filming location
"At this time, no one has come forward and admitted to bringing the live bullets to the film set. The information obtained from the text messages is concerning as live ammunition was discussed and possibly used on a previous set, a few months before production began on "Rust," so that's concerning," Mendoza said.
A law enforcement official told CNN they consider the text exchange important as they try to determine if the gunsmith was in the habit of conducting live-fire drills while also being responsible for security on the sets.
Gutierrez Reed's attorney, Jason Bowles, told CNN that his client wanted to fire the gun to understand how the historic weapon worked and maintains that he did not fire live rounds on set.
CNN's Cheri Mossburg, Josh Campbell and Stella Chan contributed to this report.
Alec BaldwinHalyna HutchinsNew MexicoRustSanta Fe