1mo ago

Pardoned January 6 rioter said ‘I’m shooting myself’ before Indiana deputy fatally shot him

www.theguardian.com

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.

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74 comments

I think it's important to point out that this is not justifiable because he was a jan 6 rioter, but because he was reaching for a gun.
It's a small distinction, but an important one, as justifications can easily stretch to encompass things they shouldn't. If it's ok for an officer to kill someone at a traffic stop solely because they were at the riot, then it won't be long before it's justification for killing someone at a protest, or just for speaking out.
So good riddance to bad rubbish in this case, but be wary of dismissing a police officer killing someone just because we don't like them.
- It's not OK for a cop to shoot him because he was at a riot. It's OK for a cop to shoot him because he's a traitor that tried to steal democracy away from the nation. He was an enemy of the state and the people.
  The only good nazi is a dead nazi, and I hope his fate befalls every single one of those traitors.
  
  No, that's not OK. It's not ok for a law enforcer to kill anyone for any reason other than in the immediate defense of themselves or other civilians.
  That's not their job. They are not political assassins. They are law enforcement. They enforce the law. The law is not "kill any traitors on sight" we already know how untrustworthy police officers are, they've proven time and time again that they abuse their power as much as possible. It would be incredibly foolish to give them a blanket pass on killing people because the officer determined they were a Nazi.

74 comments