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Background: The intersection of IN-14 and CR-475 in Indiana near the location of the officer-involved shooting (Google Maps). Inset: Matthew Huttle at the U.S. Capital on Jan. 6, 2021 (Capitol Police surveillance footage).
An Indiana man recently pardoned for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection has been shot to death by a police officer during a traffic stop.
In a press release, the Indiana State Police explained that Matthew Huttle, 42, was stopped by a deputy with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 26 while driving on a state road. During the stop, the officer attempted to arrest Huttle and an altercation between the two ensued. The situation escalated, and the officer ultimately fired on Huttle, fatally wounding him.
Federal sources confirmed that Huttle had just been pardoned by President Donald Trump for taking part in the riot at the Capital.
Indiana State Police did not include details about why Huttle was being arrested. They noted that he was “in possession of a firearm.”
Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson said in a statement included in the release, “For full transparency, I requested the Indiana State Police to investigate this officer involved shooting. The officer that is involved has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard protocol and is our policy in these situations. Our condolences go out to the family of the deceased as any loss of life is traumatic to those that were close to Mr. Huttle. I will release the officer’s name once I have approval from the State Police Detectives.”
The shooting was originally reported the day it occurred, but left Huttle’s name out until his family was notified. Indiana State Police later issued an update identifying Huttle and confirming that an autopsy took place.
Huttle had gone to the Capitol with his uncle Dale Huttle, 74, who was released from prison after the pardons were issued. The elder Huttle pleaded guilty in December 2023 to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon and causing serious bodily injury.
The younger Huttle struck a plea deal with prosecutors in June 2023 and served six months for knowingly entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. The Washington Post reported that in his statement to the FBI after the plea, he said “his only purpose of being at the Capitol was to record video to show possible government corruption.” Prosecutors said that Huttle believed “the FBI was responsible for the Capitol riot and explained that he saw actors attacking the Capitol who appeared to have too much training to be civilians.”
Since Trump issued the pardons, several Jan. 6 rioters have had new run-ins with the law. Andrew Taake, 36, who was famously turned in to federal agents by a woman who met him on the Bumble dating app, currently faces a state charge dating back to 2016 of solicitation of a minor.
Daniel Ball, 39, was arrested on a pending weapons charge on Jan. 22, two days after being pardoned for his role in the Jan. 6 riot.
Several other pardoned rioters also face separate charges unrelated to Jan. 6 that can proceed now that they’ve been released.