By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A man convicted for his role in the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol, and later pardoned by President Donald Trump, has been killed by a police officer barely one week after his conviction was erased, officials say.
Matthew Huttle, 42, was killed by a sheriff’s deputy on Sunday after “resisting” arrest during a traffic stop in northwest Indiana, the police said in a statement.
“An altercation took place between the suspect and the officer, which resulted in the officer firing his weapon and fatally wounding the suspect,” the statement said.
The police also alleged in the statement that Huttle was in possession of a firearm but did not provide further details.
US media identified Huttle as one of approximately 1,500 people charged or convicted for participating in the Capitol assault, who were pardoned by Trump last week.
Trump used his initial hours back in the Oval Office to erase the records of over 200 people who had pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers during the Capitol siege four years ago, with around 1,500 individuals convicted of attempting to overthrow the government freed from prison.
The insurrection was sparked by Trump’s refusal to accept the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
No fewer than 140 officers were injured – many beaten, bloodied, and crushed by the crowd – when Trump supporters attempted to overturn his electoral defeat.
Huttle, who had completed his six-month jail sentence, was released last July, local news outlet FOX59 reported.
His uncle, who also participated in the January 6 assault, was sentenced last year to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting police officers with a flagpole, the news station added.
Media reports have also revealed that another pardon recipient, Daniel Ball of Florida, was rearrested last week over a federal gun charge that predated the Capitol attack.
