A man who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 and had recently been pardoned by President Donald Trump was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop after stating he couldn’t afford to be in legal trouble. The deputy was legally justified in shooting Matthew Huttle, 42, who had threatened to shoot himself and was about to be arrested for driving on a suspended license. Body camera footage shows Huttle running to the driver’s side of his car, saying he will shoot himself, before the deputy fires. A loaded handgun was found in Huttle’s car.
Huttle had been among those convicted or charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and was pardoned by Trump on the first day of his second term. In November 2023, Huttle pleaded guilty to entering a restricted building and was sentenced to six months in prison. During the traffic stop, Huttle told the deputy he was a January 6 defendant and was waiting on a pardon, as he couldn’t afford to get into more trouble.
The shooting was deemed justified by the special prosecutor, as Huttle posed an imminent risk to the deputy when he reached for a weapon. The investigation determined that the deputy acted in self-defense and the case is closed. The deputy had been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure after a shooting. Support resources for those in crisis were also provided at the end of the article.
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