Man pardoned by Trump over part in January 6 riots SHOT DEAD by police after heated traffic dispute
A man who was recently pardoned by Donald Trump for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot has been shot dead by police during a traffic stop in Indiana.
Matthew Huttle, 42, was killed on Sunday when an altercation broke out with a Jasper County sheriff’s deputy who had attempted to arrest him during the stop.
The incident occurred just days after Huttle received a presidential pardon, having previously served six months in prison for his participation in the 2021 Capitol attack.
State police said an “altercation took place between the suspect and the officer, which resulted in the officer firing his weapon and fatally wounding the suspect”.
Investigators confirmed Huttle was in possession of a firearm during the traffic stop. The incident occurred on Indiana State Road 14, though few other details have been released about the circumstances of the attempted arrest.
Nick Barnes, a lawyer representing Huttle in an upcoming case in Lake County, told the Associated Press he “didn’t know the circumstances of the shooting” but planned to “find out a lot more about it.”
Huttle had travelled to Washington with his uncle Dale to attend the pro-Trump rally on January 6, 2021. He spent approximately 16 minutes inside the Capitol building and recorded his actions on video.
His uncle Dale received a 30-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting an officer with a flagpole.
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According to defence lawyer Andrew Hemmer, Huttle “is not a true believer in any political cause” but attended the rally “because he thought it would be a historic moment and he had nothing better to do after getting out of jail” for a driving offence.
Sheriff Patrick Williamson said in a statement: “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.”
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on paid administrative leave, which the sheriff’s office said was standard protocol for police shootings. The Indiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division is conducting an investigation into the incident.
The findings will be submitted to the Jasper County Prosecutor’s Office for formal review. Huttle was among more than 1,500 people pardoned by Trump for their roles in the Capitol riot on the first day of his second term in office.
The pardons have sparked concerns among police officers who were at the Capitol and political violence experts, who warn they could lead to further acts of violence.
Another recently pardoned January 6 participant, Daniel Ball of Florida, was rearrested last week on federal gun charges that predated but emerged from his involvement in the Capitol insurrection.