Wichita ? Federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty for a man accused of the fatal shooting of Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuels.

U.S. Atty. Eric Melgren announced Thursday that U.S. Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales is permitting Melgren’s office to pursue capital punishment against Scott Cheever.

“The residents of Greenwood County and of the entire state of Kansas were shocked at the senseless killing of Sheriff Samuels,” Melgren said.

“This decision was not made lightly nor quickly, but the United States believes it is an appropriate decision in this case.”

The Greenwood County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on the latest development, and no one answered the phone at the Samuels home.

Samuels was shot in January at a home near Virgil in northeast Greenwood County. Cheever, 23, was arrested after a seven-hour standoff, and officials found a suspected meth lab at the home. Kansas Atty. Gen. Phill Kline’s office charged Cheever in state court with capital murder.

Cheever also faced felony charges including attempted capital murder and manufacturing methamphetamine.

But the Kansas Supreme Court struck down the state’s death penalty law in December, and unless that ruling is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, Cheever won’t face execution because of a conviction in state court.

That led Kline and Melgren to ask Gonzales to consider pursuing a death sentence in federal court.

Kline said in a statement he appreciated the willingness of Gonzales and the Bush administration in assisting the state as it pursues justice in the case.

In March, a federal grand jury indicted Cheever with murder for Samuels’ slaying, plus other charges related to the manufacture of methamphetamine.