In the early morning hours of what should have been a day of celebration, Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael D. Chandler, a 29-year-old male, was nearing the end of his shift. On November 13, 2021, his 29th birthday, he was asked to perform a welfare check at a vacant residence in the 2500 block of Orr Street, a house known to local law enforcement as a hub for illicit activities.
Shortly after arriving at the location, Officer Chandler encountered a vehicle and was immediately met with gunfire.
A deputy from the Wise County Sheriff's Office was the first to arrive on the scene, discovering Officer Chandler unconscious in a ditch. He had been shot in the wrist and abdomen, just below his ballistic vest. Urgently transported first to a local hospital and then airlifted to Johnson City Medical Center, Chandler fought for his life throughout the day. However, he succumbed to his injuries that evening, surrounded by his family.
An extensive manhunt involving local, state, and federal law enforcement was launched for the person responsible. The investigation quickly identified Michael Donivan White as the suspect. Later that same day, White, then 33, was located at a Travel Inn in Kingsport, Tennessee. He was apprehended without incident by a SWAT team. A search of his motel room uncovered the 9mm pistol used in the shooting. The investigation that followed Chandler's death uncovered a vast drug trafficking operation that funneled large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl into Southwest Virginia.
Ultimately, Michael Donivan White and 18 other individuals were arrested on wide-ranging federal charges related to the drug conspiracy. White faced numerous charges, including causing the death of a person with a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He eventually pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other federal charges. For his crimes, White received two 100-year sentences, to be served concurrently, ensuring he would spend the rest of his life in prison. Officer Chandler, who was also a dedicated volunteer firefighter, left behind a wife and daughter, and a community that mourned the loss of a hero who died protecting them.
