

Matthew Huttle, Hobart, Indiana man pardoned by Donald Trump for his involvement in January 6 Capitol riot shot dead during traffic stop by cops after refusing to yield to arrest and while in possession of a gun. Shooting death reignites debate whether Trump was correct to issue blanket pardon for rioters.
Karma almost always knows where you live… An Indiana man who was pardoned by President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot was shot dead by a deputy during a traffic stop Sunday afternoon, according to authorities.
Matthew Huttle, 42, of Hobart, IN, was killed in an altercation with a Jasper County Sheriff’s deputy who pulled him over on Indiana State Road 14 near the Pulaski County line, Sunday, circa 4.15pm, as they attempted to arrest him, state police said.
Why was pardoned Capitol riot attendant wanted for arrest?
‘An altercation took place between the suspect and the officer, which resulted in the officer firing his weapon and fatally wounding the suspect,’ state police said in a news release.
Huttle allegedly had a gun on him inside the car, NBC News cited authorities saying.
Huttle was granted a pardon from the president last week that wiped clean a misdemeanor charge tied to his involvement in the Capitol riot.
Huttle was sentenced to six months behind bars in 2023 after he pleaded guilty to entering a restricted building. He was released from jail in July 2024, according to the Washington Post.
He was among around 1,500 January 6 defendants who received clemency from Trump.
In 2021, Huttle traveled with his uncle to attend Trump’s speech to supporters leading up to the breach at the Capitol, where he was inside the building for 16 minutes and recorded it on video.
His defense attorney at the time said in a court filing he went to 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 offense.
Not politically motivated?
‘He is not a true believer in any political cause,’ defense attorney Andrew Hemmer claimed at the time.
Matthew Huttle’s uncle Dale Huttle was convicted for striking a police officer with a flag pole.
‘I’m not ashamed of being there. It was our duty as patriots,’ the uncle said during a news interview afterward, according to the Department of Justice. ‘I put myself on the line to defend the country. And I have, I have no regrets. I will not say I’m sorry.’
Indiana State Police did not reveal more information about the circumstances around the shooting, including why Huttle was being arrested. The agency is taking the lead on the investigation.
The deputy who shot and killed Huttle was placed on paid administrative leave, which is protocol for the sheriff’s office, 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,’ he stated.
Huttle was one of many people identified as having taken part in the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in which hundreds of President Donald Trump’s supporters who broke into the building in an attempt to stop the counting of electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election.
Debate over President Trump Capitol 6 pardons re-ignited
Court records show Huttle entered into an agreement with federal prosecutors in August 2023, pleading guilty to a charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. He was sentenced in November 2023 to six months in federal prison, followed by 12 months of supervised release.
Huttle’s shooting death comes off the heels of wide debate whether President Trump was correct to pardon ‘his supporters’ following convictions for violent related crimes, including crimes against police officers on January 6, 2021.
‘I do not agree with violence against any police officer,’ Trump’s nominee for Attorney General Pam Bondi previously said.
Said Trump last week after issuing his blanket executive order: ‘These people have already served years in prison, and they’ve served them viciously.
‘It’s a disgusting prison. It’s been horrible. It’s inhumane. It’s been a terrible, terrible thing.’
A recent Associated Press survey indicated only two in 10 Americans approve of pardoning most of those involved in the January 6 Capitol Hill riots.