Police Officer Michael D. Chandler

Officer: Big Stone Gap Police Department, Police Officer Michael D. Chandler

Date: 11/13/2021        Location: Big Stone Gap, VA            FACTORS (1,2,3,7,15,21)

Perpetrator(s) Involved: Michael Donivan White

Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, for an incident in August 2019 which he was indicted in July 2020, White was “on two years’ probation for concurrent 10-year suspended sentences for grand larceny and conspiracy to commit grand larceny.” / Yes, White was a felon in possession of a weapon, ammunition, and drugs when shooting Officer Chandler.

Mental Illness: Unknown.

Substance Abuse History/Involved: Unknown./ Yes, among the many charge’s White faces in this shooting incident is the possession of controlled substances.

Race/Sex/Age: White/Male/33

What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At approximately 4 a.m. on November 13, 2021, Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael Chandler responded to a vacant house to perform a welfare check. Upon arriving at the vacant house, Officer Chandler encountered a man, Michael Donivan White, in the driveway. 

Actions taken by subject toward police: White shot Officer Chandler and quickly fled the scene.

Reactions by the police: A responding deputy found Officer Chandler unconscious and had him transported to a medical center where he was declared dead. A multi-jurisdictional manhunt for White tracked him down in nearby Tennessee where he was arrested later that day.

How murdered? Officer Chandler was ambushed and shot while performing a welfare check on a vacant building.

What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Without additional details it is not known if Officer Chandler had a chance to speak with White at all or if he was ambushed and never saw his killer.

Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? As there is no reporting of Officer Chandler firing his weapon it appears he was ambushed and never had a chance to use deadly force to defend himself.

Outcome for the cop-killer: White was captured within hours and faces charges of “aggravated murder of a police officer, 2nd-degree murder, and numerous other felonies including possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.

Miscellaneous: Officer Chandler’s death was preventable as his murderer; Michael White should still have been in prison serving out the sentences on his felonies.