Matthew Huttle, a 42-year-old Indiana man from Hobart, was fatally shot by a Jasper County sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop on Sunday. The incident occurred just days after he had been pardoned by former President Donald Trump for a misdemeanor related to the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
Indiana State Police are investigating the shooting. Authorities stated that during the traffic stop, the deputy attempted to arrest Huttle, leading to an altercation between the two. The confrontation resulted in the deputy firing his weapon, fatally wounding Huttle. Police also noted that Huttle was in possession of a firearm during the traffic stop. No additional details about the incident or the reason for the traffic stop have been released.
Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson expressed condolences to Huttle’s family, acknowledging the trauma of losing a loved one. Huttle’s attorney, Nick Barnes, who was representing him in unrelated motor vehicle cases in Lake County, said he was unaware of the circumstances surrounding the shooting but planned to investigate further.
Huttle had been sentenced in 2023 to six months in custody after pleading guilty to entering a restricted area of the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 riot. He had traveled to Washington, D.C., with his uncle to attend the pro-Trump rally. Huttle was inside the Capitol for approximately 16 minutes, during which he recorded video footage. His defense attorney at the time, Andrew Hemmer, described Huttle as someone who did not deeply believe in any political cause. Hemmer explained in court filings that Huttle attended the rally primarily because he thought it would be a historic event and had no other plans after recently being released from jail for a driving offense.
The investigation into Huttle’s death is ongoing, and further details are awaited as law enforcement continues to examine the circumstances surrounding the traffic stop and subsequent shooting.
