Man Arrested After Allegedly Assaulting Officers With Pole During Capitol Attack
Dale Huttle, whose nephew was also arrested for participating in the riot, reportedly said he has “no regrets” and called himself “the ultimate patriot.”
An Indiana man accused of assaulting law enforcement officers with a flagpole during last year’s deadly Capitol insurrection has been arrested on felony charges, the Justice Department announced Monday.
Federal agents linked Dale Huttle, 61, of Crown Point to the Jan. 6, 2021, violence through photos and phone records, according to a newly unsealed criminal complaint. He was taken into custody on Nov. 9 but has been released ahead of pending court hearings in Washington, D.C.
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His charges include assaulting, resisting or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon; interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder; and related felony and misdemeanor offenses.
Huttle’s nephew, 40-year-old Matthew Huttle of Hebron, Indiana, was arrested Monday on misdemeanor charges after being accused of unlawfully entering the Capitol grounds during the 2021 attack, the Justice Department said.
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Dale Huttle, reached by a CBS 2 reporter on Tuesday, said he had “no regrets” for his actions and that he will fight the charges against him.
“I did no harm. I did it with passion and conviction,” he told the Chicago-based station. “I am the ultimate patriot because I put myself on the line. I have no regrets. I will not say I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’m in this situation.”
Dale Huttle was photographed appearing to strike officers outside the Capitol with a wooden flagpole, according to the criminal complaint. He also appeared to grab an officer’s baton during the melee and at one point appeared to yell “surrender!” at the officers, authorities said, citing officers’ body camera footage.
After receiving a number of incorrect tips about the identity of the man in the photos, authorities identified Huttle using his passport, driver’s license and images posted on social media, the Justice Department said. His manager, reached by a federal investigator, also reviewed photos taken during the violence and confirmed Huttle’s identity and that he was absent from work at the time of the attack.
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Investigators said they determined the cell phones of both Dale and Matthew Huttle were used within proximity of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021.
Nearly 900 people have been arrested for crimes related to the Capitol violence as of this month. Of these individuals, more than 275 people have been charged with assaulting or impending law enforcement, according to the Justice Department.
The House committee investigating the insurrection is expected to release its final report on the attack by the end of this year.
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