Matthew Huttle: January 6 rioter pardoned by Trump shot dead by police during traffic stop
A man pardoned by Donald Trump for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot has been shot dead by police just days later.
Matthew Huttle was killed after getting into an altercation with Jasper County police during a traffic stop in Indiana on Sunday afternoon local time.
Police say they were trying to arrest the 42-year-old when things took a deadly turn.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“An altercation took place between the suspect and the officer, which resulted in the officer firing his weapon and fatally wounding the suspect,” a police media release read.
Officers claim Huttle had a gun inside the car and a deputy opened fire when he resisted arrest.
He was among nearly 1600 people pardoned for their roles in the January 6 riot by President Donald Trump as one of the first executive orders issued after his inauguration.
Huttle, who had an extensive criminal history, was jailed for six months in 2023 for his role in the riot. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour charge of entering restricted grounds and was released from jail in July 2024.
Prosecutors said he “was at the forefront of violence when rioters overwhelmed and overran the police line on the West Front” of the Capitol, according to The Washington Post.
Huttle and his uncle attended the Stop the Steal rally in Washington on January 6 before helping rioters overrun police and roaming around the Capitol building.
After pleading guilty, he told FBI agents he’d only intended to record video to “show government corruption”.
“Huttle believes that 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,” FBI agents reported.
His uncle, Dale Huttle, who was jailed for 2½ years after pleading guilty to felony assault on police for his role in the Capitol riots, was released last week when Mr Trump issued pardons for nearly all of the 1600 people charged in the riot.
Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson said Huttle’s shooting death was being investigated and the officer involved had been placed on paid administrative leave.
“Our condolences go out to the family of the deceased. Any loss of life is traumatic to those that were close to Mr Huttle,” Sheriff Williamson said.
