Summary
Matthew Huttle, a 42-year-old pardoned January 6 rioter, was fatally shot by an Indiana deputy during a traffic stop 6 days after Trump granted clemency to over 1,500 Capitol attackers.
Huttle, previously sentenced to six months in prison, was pulled over for driving 70mph (113km/h) in a 55mph zone and faced arrest as a habitual traffic offender.
According to newly released body camera footage, Huttle said “I’m shooting myself” before reaching for a loaded gun in his car, prompting the deputy to fire.
Prosecutors ruled the shooting “legally justified.” His death adds to mounting legal issues among pardoned rioters.
I’ve been on the edge before, called the police on myself and it caught me interesting that my movement he did reach for a weapon when I went to hand over the knife, so I should feel empathy. I feel empathy for the officer who was in a damned if you do damned if you don’t situation, but…
I don’t know. I’m out. This is a person who 1: Willingly joined in a coup to attempt to overthrow an election to 3: AFTER getting pardoned, get pulled over with a suspended license enough times for it to be a felony (I don’t know about y’all, but it’s kinda rare for me to get pulled over. And the times I have… I’ll 100% admit I was way over, generally because I’ve missed the speed sign) 4: His FIRST interaction with an officer is how he was a Jan 6 pardon like it’s a get out of jail free card. This shows he has zero actual fucking remorse for what he did and instead hoping the cop is on his side. 5: Go to his car and reach for a gun.
This is a man who has shown an actual pattern of not caring about anyone’s safety but himself. His upset moment is when he’s affected, but anyone else, damn them.
It’s why I can’t blame the cop in this one. This was a man in an unpredictable scenario who has shown these very things in decisions. Man could have easily said “I’m shooting myself” and instead shoot the cop. In EMS I’ve worked alongside too many cops, and I’ve talked to some who’s had to shoot, most of them it bothers them. It should, honestly I’d question the ones that take a life and aren’t haunted by it. This cop just dealt with a man reaching for a gun and the last thing he heard from the man is telling him he’d end his own life and the cop did it for him. So I can’t help but to think that this is a Jan 6er who’s managed to fuck up yet another life.