Matthew W. Huttle, a 42-year-old man from Hobart, Indiana, was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy during a routine traffic stop near the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in Jasper County, Indiana, on January 26, 2025. Huttle had been pardoned by President Donald Trump for his participation in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, just a week prior to the incident.
According to reports, Huttle resisted arrest and was in possession of a firearm during the traffic stop, leading to a confrontation with the deputy. Following the incident, Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson released a statement, calling for a full investigation by the Indiana State Police into this officer-involved shooting.
Williamson announced that the officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave, as per department policy. He expressed his condolences to Huttle’s family, acknowledging the profound impact of the loss on those who knew him.
The presidential pardons, granted on January 20, 2025, were part of a sweeping executive action that included pardons and commutations for nearly 1,600 individuals. The Justice Department was instructed to dismiss all pending indictments against individuals for their conduct related to the riot on January 6, 2021, effectively reversing the largest criminal inquiry in the department’s history.
Over twelve hundred individuals had been found guilty for their roles in the January 6th incident, with around 200 admitting to assaulting law enforcement officers. The violence that unfolded that day resulted in injuries to over 100 police officers and is considered one of the most significant attacks on law enforcement in recent American history.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi labeled the pardons as an “outrageous insult to our justice system” and applauded the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol during the attack.
Despite being involved in the Capitol riot, Huttle’s prosecution was less severe than others. In August 2023, he entered a plea agreement, admitting to a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. Huttle was in the Capitol for about 10 minutes, entering through the Senate Wing door and exiting through a broken window.
Huttle’s attorney sought a lenient sentence during his trial, portraying him as a “nonviolent individual” with a history of alcohol abuse and personal tragedies. Court records showed that Huttle, a long-term construction worker, had no prior criminal record.
FBI investigations confirmed Huttle’s presence on Capitol grounds for several hours on January 6, 2021, and his brief entry into the building.
The pardons have drawn strong criticism from law enforcement officials, who view them as a grave injustice and betrayal. Critics have pointed out that the pardons predominantly benefitted the most violent members of the pro-Trump mob, many of whom received full clemency despite being convicted of attacking police officers.
Huttle is not the only pardoned January 6 defendant to have subsequent encounters with law enforcement. Another individual, Daniel Ball of Florida, was taken into custody on federal gun charges soon after receiving his pardon.
The investigation into Huttle’s shooting is being led by the Indiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division Lowell Post. An autopsy was conducted at the Jasper County morgue, with the findings to be submitted to the Jasper County Prosecutor’s Office for formal review, a process that generally takes several weeks.
