A Jasper County sheriff's deputy was legally justified in January's fatal shooting of Matthew W. Huttle, 42. That's the finding of special prosecutor Chris Vawter.
On January 26, police pulled over Huttle for allegedly driving 70 miles per hour in a 55-mile-per-hour zone on State Road 14. But when the deputy tried to arrest Huttle for being a habitual traffic violator, he allegedly fled to his vehicle and reached for a weapon.
Huttle then reportedly raised the weapon and said he was going to shoot himself, and the deputy fired multiple shots. The deputy then reportedly went back to his vehicle and waited for backup.
Indiana State Police investigators presented the case to the special prosecutor Wednesday. Vawter said in a press release Thursday that Huttle's actions posed an imminent threat to the deputy's safety, and the deputy's actions were legally justified. No charges will be filed, and the investigation is closed.
