South Carolina man pleads guilty in federal court to fatal shooting of Virginia police officer

ABINGDON, Va. — A South Carolina man pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges in the 2021 shooting death of a police officer in southwest Virginia.

Michael Donivan White, 36, of Cross, South Carolina, previously pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in state court.

The federal charges include drug-related charges and the death of a person with a gun.

The plea agreement requires the judge to sentence White to 40 to 100 years. His previous plea agreement, reached on May 30, also calls for a sentence of 40 to 100 years.

White's attorneys did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Wednesday evening.

In court documents, White admitted to shooting Big Stone Gap police officer Michael Chandler, 29, who was responding to a call just outside the city limits on November 13, 2021.

Prosecutors said White shot Chandler eight times from inside his car when the officer approached after White tried to flee and got stuck in the grass. Prosecutors said drugs were in the car.

Chandler died that evening. White was later arrested at a motel in Kingsport, Tennessee.