Individual granted clemency by Trump for involvement in January 6th unrest is fatally shot by police while being pulled over

An individual from Indiana who had recently been pardoned by President Donald Trump for his involvement in the events at the Capitol on January 6 was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop. The incident occurred on Sunday.

Matthew Huttle, 42, was shot and killed by a deputy with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department at around 4.15pm on State Road 14, Fox 59 reports. 

According to the Indiana State Police, the traffic stop prompted the unidentified deputy to attempt an arrest of Huttle. However, Huttle purportedly resisted and engaged in a physical struggle with the officer.

That altercation led the deputy to fire his gun, killing Huttle.

It remains unclear why the deputy stopped Huttle near the Jasper and Pulaski county lines and what he was being arrested for.

Officers only noted he was in possession of a firearm, but did not say whether Huttle had wielded the weapon.

Huttle and his uncle, Dale Huttle, were previously arrested for taking part in the January 6 US Capitol riots. 

The FBI said the 42-year-old was inside the Capitol for roughly 10 minutes, but remained on Capitol grounds for several hours.

Huttle was eventually apprehended in Boise, Idaho in November 2022 after being recognized in a video within the Capitol, where he was seen entering ‘multiple’ offices, the Crypt area, and various hallways. This information was reported by USA Today.

Huttle eventually pleaded guilty to entering a restricted building, as his attorney argued he was just at the Capitol to provide his uncle with a ride, ABC 7 Chicago reports.

‘He is not a true believer in any political cause,’ defense attorney Andrew Hemmer wrote in a court filing at the time.

‘He instead went to the rally because it would be a historic moment, and he had nothing better to do after getting out of jail’ for a previous driving offense.

‘His uncle talked to him about politics and stolen elections, but Matt mostly tuned this out as he did not really care.’ 

Hemmer went on to note that his client had started drinking as a teenager, and for nearly 15 years, Huttle drank 12 to 18 beers almost every day, court documents obtained by the New York Times say.  

‘Much of Matt’s criminal history and many of the problems in his life in general are directly related to his extreme alcohol abuse,’ the lawyer claimed.

Huttle was also a father-of-two who had experienced ‘plenty of tragedy and loss’ in his life, Hemmer continued. 

Huttle’s mother died in April 2023, and the mother of his son died in 2022 from a fentanyl overdose.

In 2015, Huttle was also shot in the back of the knee and in 2018, he was attacked with a hammer and baseball bat by his son’s mother’s boyfriend, causing extensive injuries.

Huttle’s health had ‘been rapidly deteriorating over the past few years’ and he suffered chronic arthritis, emphysema and late-stage cirrhosis of the liver brought on by his excessive drinking, Hemmer said.

‘He’s a hard worker and often needs to relocate and resettle his life on short notice to find new work,’ he wrote in a sentencing memo in November 2023.

‘He’s lived in California, Idaho, Arkansas and Indiana, and will likely try to relocate again, to another location in Indiana, once this case is resolved.’ 

Huttle was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by 12 months in supervised release.

His prison sentence ended on July 17, 2024.

Huttle’s uncle pleaded guilty to more serious charges and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for assaulting law enforcement with a dangerous weapon. He was seen with an upside-down flag pole, appearing to hit an officer.

Dale was only released on January 20, when President Trump pardoned all the rioters.

‘I’m not ashamed of being there. It was our duty as patriots,’ the uncle said in an interview following the riot, 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 are now leading the investigation into the police-involved shooting, and the deputy who pulled the trigger has been placed on leave amid the investigation, as is standard policy.

Once the investigation is completed, the findings will be sent to the county prosecutor for review.

‘Our condolences go out to the family of the deceased as any loss of life is traumatic to those that were closed to Mr. Huttle,’ Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson said.

‘I will release the officer’s name once I have approval from the State Police Detectives,’ he added.