73-year-old Indiana man sentenced after pleading guilty to his part in U.S. Capitol breach on January 6

CROWN POINT, Ind. -- The U.S. Department of Justice announced 73-year-old Dale Huttle, of Crown Point, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and 24 months of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon and causing serious bodily injury, a felony, on December 8, 2023.

Huttle was also ordered to pay $3,639 in restitution because of his conduct during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Court documents state Huttle traveled to Washington, D.C. from Indiana to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally on January 6, 2021, and joined the crowd that marched to the U.S. Capitol building afterward, while carrying a long flagpole with an upside-down American flag.

Documents go on to state Huttle marched alongside his nephew/co-defendant, Matthew Huttle, toward the U.S. Capitol.

It goes on to state as the two got closer to Capitol grounds, Matthew said, “We’re going to be stopped here, I don’t think we’re going to get close. We’re going to have to go up the side...Cops, a lot of cops,” to which Huttle responded, “I think we ought to bum rush the Capitol building! Arrest them all. We’ve got enough people to do that.”

Huttle then made his way through the mob and approached a line of police officers standing behind bike racks connected to form a barricade.

Huttle and other rioters then yelled at and berated the officers, before they surged forward and grabbed the bike racks and officers struggled to maintain control.

Huttle then lunged toward the officers and forcibly jabbed his flagpole into the stomach of a Metropolitan Police Department Officer. 

The officer then lost their footing and fell backward on the stairs as Huttle continued to strike the officer with the flagpole.

The officer fell and suffered a sharp pain in their back and upper leg, with court documents saying due to this assault, the officer suffered a slipped disc in their back.

Huttle then assaulted a second MPD officer, forcibly jabbing his flagpole at the officer, striking the officer, and causing them to fall down a set of stairs. Other officers attempted to help the officer to their feet, while Huttle continued to jab officers with the flagpole.

Police temporarily regained control of the situation after these assaults.

Huttle remained at the front of the police line and berated and taunted police officers.

The police line on the West Front then collapsed, and rioters, including Huttle, flooded onto the West Plaza.

Police then retreated to a narrow staircase as Huttle pursued and continued his attack on police, including grabbing and yanking an officer’s gas mask and baton.

After his arrest, Huttle gave a news interview regarding his participation in the riot. In the interview, Huttle described the scene on the West Front as “mayhem” filled with tear gas, smoke, flash bangs, and pepper spray.

Court documents say Huttle then declared, “I’m not ashamed of being there. It was our duty as patriots.” Huttle then called himself “the ultimate patriot because I put myself on the line to defend the country. And I have, I have no regrets. I will not say I’m sorry.”

The FBI arrested Huttle on November 17, 2022, in Indiana.

Huttle's nephew was previously sentenced for his role in the events of January 6.