Matthew W. Huttle, a 42-year-old man from Hobart, Indiana, who had been granted a presidential pardon for his involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, was fatally shot by a Jasper County, Indiana sheriff’s deputy during a routine traffic stop on January 26, 2025. The event took place just a week after President Trump issued several contentious pardons in the early days of his presidency.
The shooting incident unfolded near the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area when a Jasper County sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop Huttle’s vehicle. A confrontation occurred after Huttle allegedly resisted arrest while armed with a firearm.
Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson issued a statement, saying, “For full transparency, I requested the Indiana State Police to investigate this officer-involved shooting.” He added that the deputy involved has been put on paid administrative leave per department policy and standard protocol. Williamson also expressed his condolences to the Huttle family, recognizing the deep trauma experienced by those close to the deceased.
The pardons issued by Trump on January 20, 2025, were part of a broad executive action that included pardons and commutations for approximately 1,600 individuals. The Justice Department was instructed to seek dismissal with prejudice of all pending indictments related to the conduct on January 6, 2021, effectively dismantling the most comprehensive criminal investigation in the department’s history.
More than 1,200 individuals were convicted in relation to the January 6 crimes, with roughly 200 admitting guilt for assaulting law enforcement personnel. The incident resulted in injuries to over 100 police officers, marking it as one of the most significant attacks on law enforcement in recent U.S. history.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to the pardons as “an outrageous insult to our justice system” and expressed admiration for the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol during the attack.
Among the January 6 prosecutions, Huttle’s case was less severe. In August 2023, he entered a plea agreement, admitting to a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds during the Capitol riot. The plea agreement provided details of Huttle’s presence in the Capitol through the Senate Wing door for about 10 minutes before he exited through a broken window near the Senate Wing.
During Huttle’s sentencing, his attorney advocated for leniency, describing him as a “nonviolent individual” with a history of alcohol abuse and personal tragedies. Court documents showed that Huttle had no prior criminal record and had held steady employment as a construction worker in Hobart for over a decade before his arrest.
FBI investigations confirmed that Huttle had been on the Capitol grounds for several hours on January 6, 2021, and entered the building for approximately 10 minutes.
Many law enforcement officials expressed strong criticism of the pardons, viewing them as a betrayal and a significant injustice. They pointed out that the pardons primarily benefited the most violent members of the pro-Trump mob, including those convicted of attacking police officers with various weapons, many of whom received full clemency.
This is not the first incident of a pardoned January 6 defendant encountering law enforcement. Another rioter, Daniel Ball from Florida, was rearrested on federal gun charges soon after his pardon.
The Indiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division Lowell Post is heading the investigation into Huttle’s shooting. An autopsy was conducted at the Jasper County, Indiana morgue on the following Monday, with results pending further analysis. The findings will be presented to the Jasper County Prosecutor’s Office for formal review, a process that typically takes several weeks to complete.
