Matthew Huttle, a participant in the January 6 insurrection who received a pardon from President Trump just nine days prior, was reportedly shot and killed by law enforcement officers.
Huttle, 42, a resident of Hobart, Indiana, lost his life following a traffic stop in the state on Sunday afternoon, January 26.
Shot following an ‘altercation’
A deputy from the Jasper County sheriff’s office initiated the traffic stop and subsequently shot Huttle. The state police, currently conducting an investigation into the incident, reported that the deputy attempted to arrest Huttle.
During this encounter, “an altercation occurred between the suspect and the officer, leading to the officer discharging his weapon and fatally injuring the suspect.”
The investigation also revealed that Huttle was in possession of a firearm at the time of the traffic stop. However, authorities did not disclose further details regarding the circumstances that led to the initial stop.
The identity of the deputy involved remains undisclosed, and he is currently on administrative leave.
Huttle’s legal history and pardon
Huttle was among the rioters who breached the Capitol in an effort to obstruct the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. He documented the 16 minutes he spent inside the Capitol building that day and uploaded the footage to his Google account.
In 2023, Huttle pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of entering a restricted building and received a six-month jail sentence.
Defense attorney Andrew Hemmer stated in a court document, “He does not genuinely subscribe to any political ideology. Rather, he attended the rally believing it would be a significant event, and he had no other engagements following his release from jail for a driving violation.”
He was released from incarceration in July 2024.
On his first day back in the White House, US President Donald Trump issued pardons to over 1,500 of his supporters who participated in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to challenge the outcome of the 2020 election.
In total, 1,583 individuals faced charges related to the attack on Congress.
