An Indiana man who had been in prison for allegedly participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol incursion and was recently pardoned by President Donald Trump has been fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop over the weekend. The Indiana State Police have put out a news release concerning the incident, revealing that it took place at 4:15 in the afternoon in Jasper County, which is located in the northwestern part of the state.
The Western Journal’s Joe Saunders reports that there was no reason given for the traffic stop, however, the release stated that the deputy involved in the shooting attempted to place the suspect, 42-year-old Matthew Huttle, under arrest. Huttle then resisted, according to the release, and “an altercation took place between the suspect and the officer, which resulted in the officer firing his weapon and fatally wounding the suspect.”
BREAKING🚨: Matthew Huttle, 42, who was recently pardoned by Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, was shot and killed by a Jasper County sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop.
Police say Huttle resisted arrest and was found with a firearm before an altercation led the… pic.twitter.com/JoqzrybL8x
— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) January 27, 2025
Huttle had a firearm at the time, according to the release, but it did not state whether he used, or attempted to use, it during the struggle. The deputy has been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated by the state police, according to the release.
“For full transparency, I requested the Indiana State Police to investigate this officer-involved shooting,” Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson went on to say in a statement, according to an article from USA Today. “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.”
Huttle was among more than 1,500 men and women Trump pardoned for their roles in the Capitol incursion. News of the shooting ignited a stir of questions — and demands for more information to show whether it was justified.
Definitely need to see the body cam footage. Let's not condemn him before we know the whole story. And regardless what we find out, this is quite tragic.
— Lisa Liberty 🦔✡️🕊️ (@lisa617) January 28, 2025
He served 6 months for walking inside. Let’s see the body cam footage. pic.twitter.com/GrkXz6obGz
— TinaLovesTesla (@TinaLovesTesla) January 28, 2025
A report from WXIN, an outlet located in Indianapolis, Huttle, along with his uncle, Dale Huttle, had previously faced charges for participating in the Capitol riot in 2021. The news station cited the FBI saying that Matthew Huttle “was inside the Capitol for roughly 10 minutes but remained on the Capitol grounds for several hours.”
He then received a 6-month prison sentence along with a year of supervised release. He was released back in July 2024.
His uncle, who actually fought with Capitol Police that day, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, according to USA Today. He was freed by Trump’s pardon. The Trump pardons and commutations of Jan. 6 defendants — announced in a White House statement on Jan. 20 — were part of the new president’s action-packed first day of office.
Please keep Huttle and all his family members in your prayers. This is a tragic turn of events and we need a lot more information before we can draw any conclusions about what happened.