WISE COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) – A man suspected of killing Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael Chandler has been indicted by Wise County officials, court documents show.
According to the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System and released indictments, a Special Grand Jury has charged Michael Donivan White of Cross, South Carolina with:
- Aggravated Murder
- Felony Murder
- Possession of Schedule I/II Substances With Intent to Distribute
- Possession of a Firearm while in Possession of Schedule I/II Substances
- Shooting in Commission of Possession of Schedule I/II Substances
- Shooting in Commission of Murder
- Use of a Firearm in Commission of Aggravated Murder
- Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
- Possession of Ammunition by a Felon
- Brandishing a Firearm
- Reckless Handling of Firearms
- Discharging a Firearm in Public
- Disorderly Conduct
According to White’s indictment, the Aggravated Murder charge alone calls for a mandatory minimum punishment of life in prison.
According to Virginia State Police (VSP), on the morning of Nov. 13 Chandler was asked to perform a welfare check on an individual in a vacant residence on Orr Street in Big Stone Gap. The report says that when Chandler arrived, he “encountered at least one individual” and was shot during the encounter.
State police report that the man who originally requested the welfare check is cooperating with the investigation, which is still ongoing as of Monday.
Chandler was taken to a local hospital and was later flown to Johnson City Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries. It was his 29th birthday.
Court records say White’s arraignment on unrelated charges is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday morning at the Wise Circuit Courthouse.
As of Monday, VSP reports that White is being held without bond.
