Indiana man convicted of assaulting police during Jan. 6 Capitol riot

INDIANAPOLIS — A Lake County man was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to assaulting police officers while participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Dale Huttle, 73, will serve 30 months in prison plus 24 months of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Additionally, Huttle was ordered to pay $3,639 in restitution fees as part of his sentence.

Huttle pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting or obstructing certain officers by using a dangerous weapon and one count of causing serious bodily injury. Huttle was initially arrested on November 17, 2022.

Court documents detail Huttle's participation in the breach of the Capitol when he allegedly traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally on January 6, 2021. After the rally ended, Huttle marched to the U.S. Capitol building while carrying a flagpole displaying an upside-down American flag.

Court documents show Dale was not alone as his nephew Matthew Huttle was also present. As the two men walked alongside the crowd, Matthew reportedly said: “We're going to see if we can get in!” »

Matthew Huttle has since been convicted for his role in the events of January 6.

As the group approached the capitol building, Dale reportedly told his nephew, “We should rush the Capitol building!” Stop them all. We have enough people to do it.

At 2 p.m., Dale and Matthew stood alongside a large crowd on the west side of the Capitol grounds. Dale then ventured toward a group of officers standing behind linked bike racks to set up a barricade.

Rioters then tore down bike racks as police struggled to push back the large crowd that had gathered. At this point, Dale “shoved his flagpole directly into the stomach” of one of the officers involved in the altercation, according to court documents.

The injured officer then lost control and fell backwards down the stairs before Dale continued to hit him with the flagpole, according to court documents. The officer had to be treated for a herniated disc in his back.

Dale was also involved in the assault of a second officer after hitting him with the same flagpole, causing the officer to fall down a flight of stairs, according to court documents.

Following these attacks, the officers managed to regain control of their line while Dale “remained at the front of the police line and berated and taunted the officers.”

However, court documents show the police line did not last long before Dale and the rest of the rioters gained access to the West Plaza. The officers began backing up a narrow staircase as the group continued to advance.

At one point during the chaos, Dale allegedly grabbed an officer's gas mask and baton. Dale and his nephew Matthew remained on the Capitol grounds after 5 p.m. that evening.

After his arrest, Dale reportedly said he had no “regrets” for his participation in the events that unfolded on January 6 in the nation's capital.

“I'm not ashamed to be here. It was our duty as patriots,” he was quoted as saying in an interview.

Huttle also called himself “the ultimate patriot because I put myself on the line to defend the country.” And I did it, I have no regrets. I won't say I'm sorry.

Since the events of January 6, 2021, more than 1,450 people from nearly all 50 states have been charged for their roles in the intrusion into the U.S. Capitol. Of this total, more than 500 people were accused of assault or obstruction of law enforcement.