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A sheriff’s officer shot and killed an Indiana man during a traffic check on Sunday after he was just pardoned for his involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6.
According to a press release, a Jasper County Sheriff’s Department deputy stopped 42-year-old Matthew Huttle about 4:15 p.m. on Sunday. During the traffic check, Huttle allegedly resisted arrest and was discovered to be carrying a handgun.
“An altercation took place between the suspect and the officer, which resulted in the officer firing his weapon and fatally wounding the suspect,” according to the release.
Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson asked the Indiana State Police to look into the matter. According to department procedure, the involved deputy was put on paid administrative leave, Williamson said.
“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,” Williamson stated. “I will release the officer’s name once I have approval from the State Police Detectives.”
No other information about the altercation was given.
The Jasper County Coroner conducted an autopsy on Monday morning and identified Huttle.
Huttle was one of numerous people implicated in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, where hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the federal building to prevent the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election.
According to court documents, Huttle pleaded guilty to a charge of entering and staying in a prohibited building or on federal property in August 2023, reaching a deal with federal prosecutors. In November 2023, he received a sentence of six months in federal prison and twelve months on supervised release.
However, Trump’s pardoning of almost 1,500 individuals involved in the Jan. 6 riot just week after his inauguration made it moot this month.
The lawsuit against him states that Huttle was with his uncle at the Capitol on that particular day, and investigators were able to access videos of him there that were posted to his personal Google account. In one of his videos, he was heard saying that they were heading to the Capitol and that he was “going to see if we can get inside.”
According to the allegation, security footage taken within the federal complex, including the crypt at the Capitol, later identified him.
According to court documents, Huttle’s uncle also accepted a plea bargain and received a sentence of 30 months in jail and three years of supervised release. According to the complaint, he was caught on camera using a flagpole to attack officers on the Capitol building’s stairs.
He was also given a pardon.