Alec Baldwin has taken the offense in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins ... as he remains under the D.A.'s microscope for possible criminal prosecution, he's filed suit against some crew members, arguing they're to blame -- not him.
Alec's accusing 4 crew members -- Chief Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Assistant Director Dave Halls, Prop Master Sarah Zachry and the gun supplier Seth Kenney -- of failing to safeguard the film set.
According to the lawsuit, “This tragedy happened because live bullets were delivered to the set and loaded into the gun.”
It goes on, “Gutierrez-Reed failed to check the bullets or the gun carefully, Halls failed to check the gun carefully and yet announced the gun was safe before handing it to Baldwin, and Zachry failed to disclose that Gutierrez-Reed had been acting recklessly off set and was a safety risk to those around her."
Alec “seeks to clear his name” and hold the crew members “accountable for their misconduct.”
He also pointed a guilty finger at Kenney, the film's gun supplier, for “haphazardly” storing all the bullets, according to the suit. The lawsuit references an F.B.I report, stating prop specialist Zachry and armorer Gutierrez-Reed failed to monitor the live rounds on the New Mexico set of "Rust."
As we reported ... The DA in Santa Fe Mary Carmack-Altwies has made it clear she might charge Alec and others criminally. Carmack-Altwies is currently reviewing the matter after the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office recently turned over its investigative file.
Alec accidentally shot Hutchins in the chest last year as they were practicing for a scene during production of the Western. Alec has previously stated he thought the gun was "cold" -- meaning unloaded -- and he shouldered no blame.