Indiana man pardoned by Trump is fatally shot during traffic stop

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RENSSELAER, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana man was fatally shot by a deputy during a traffic stop just days after he was pardoned by President Donald Trump for a misdemeanor related to the 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.

Matthew Huttle, 42, of Hobart was killed Sunday by a Jasper County sheriff’s deputy, authorities said.

State police are investigating. They said the deputy tried to arrest Huttle when “an altercation took place between the suspect and the officer, which resulted in the officer firing his weapon and fatally wounding the suspect.

“The investigation also shows that during the traffic stop, the suspect was in possession of a firearm,” state police added.

No other details were released. Authorities didn’t say what might have prompted the traffic stop.

“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,” Sheriff Patrick Williamson said.

Nick Barnes, an attorney who was representing Huttle in pending motor vehicle cases in Lake County, said he didn’t know the circumstances of the shooting.

“I plan to find out a lot more about it,” Barnes said.

In 2023, Huttle was sentenced to six months in custody after pleading guilty to entering a restricted building, the U.S. Capitol. He had traveled with his uncle to Washington to attend the Jan. 6, 2021, pro-Trump rally. Huttle was inside the Capitol for 16 minutes and recorded it on video.

“He is not a true believer in any political cause,” defense attorney Andrew Hemmer said in a court filing. “He instead went to the rally because he thought it would be a historic moment and he had nothing better to do after getting out of jail” for a driving offense.