Editor’s note: This article has been formatted for advertising compliance. A more detailed, uncensored version is available at TheSaltySoldierUncensored.com.
A U.S. Army officer was convicted and dismissed from service after a military judge found he committed domestic violence during a late-night incident at Fort Leonard Wood — an incident witnessed in real time by another Army officer staying in the room below, according to court documents obtained by The Salty Soldier.
The officer, Cholito A. Meade, was a Second Lieutenant assigned to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. His case was tried at a general court-martial, the highest level of military criminal court.
Based on publicly available information, Meade appears to have been affiliated with the 926th Engineer Brigade, a U.S. Army Reserve formation, and present at Fort Leonard Wood in connection with engineer training or support activities at the time of the incident. Court records list him under a Fort Leonard Wood engineer unit, consistent with temporary attachment or command authority during such rotations.
The events began on the night of August 5, 2023, inside an on-post Army hotel.
“A Huge Crashing Sound”
That evening, another Second Lieutenant — also an Army officer — was inside her second-floor hotel room directly beneath Meade’s. She was on the phone wearing noise-canceling headphones when she suddenly heard what she later described as a loud crashing sound, similar to a heavy object slamming into the floor above her.
She removed her headphones and continued to hear additional loud noises, including banging, scuffling, and raised voices coming from directly overhead.
She then heard a woman crying.
The woman sounded frightened and was heard repeatedly saying, “Get off of me.”
Recognizing the seriousness of what she was hearing, the Second Lieutenant began recording video on her phone to capture the sounds.
Reporting the Disturbance
She contacted the hotel front desk and reported that something appeared to be happening in the room above her. A hotel employee went upstairs but did not hear anything at that moment and chose not to knock, later explaining she was alone and concerned about safety.
While the two were speaking, the noise resumed. At that point, the hotel employee contacted military police.
The Second Lieutenant, still hearing the disturbance, decided to go upstairs herself.
Knocking on the Door
Standing outside the room directly above her own, she again heard the woman crying and saying she was being hurt.
She knocked forcefully on the door.
From inside, she heard a man tell the woman to calm herself and control her breathing.
Moments later, the door opened.
The man — later identified as Meade — was wearing only underwear. The Second Lieutenant later testified that he appeared concerned.
She told him she had heard everything and wanted to make sure everyone was okay. Meade responded that everything was fine and stated that the woman had ADHD.
When the officer asked to see the woman, Meade opened the door further.
Inside, she saw a woman lying on the bed, unclothed, curled up with her knees drawn toward her chest and her hands covering her face. The bed linens were visibly disturbed. The woman did not speak.
The Second Lieutenant returned to her room to wait for police, but the sounds did not stop.
She continued to hear the woman crying. At one point, the woman’s voice became louder than anything else she had heard that night.
She repeatedly heard the woman say she feared for her life.
Concerned something might happen before police arrived, the Second Lieutenant went back upstairs again.
Police Arrival
Military police arrived shortly afterward and were guided to the room by hotel staff.
When officers knocked, Meade answered the door wearing only underwear and was directed into the hallway.
Inside the room, officers found the woman lying on the bed. Blood was visible at the corner of her mouth and on the bed linens. Officers later described the blood as fresh.
They observed blood on Meade’s clothing and a visible mark on his chest consistent with a bite injury.
The woman appeared disoriented, frightened, and emotionally detached.
Meade was placed in handcuffs in the hallway. While officers retrieved clothing for him, he made eye contact with his wife and told her that nothing had happened. She repeated the statement.
Statements in the Patrol Vehicle
As Meade was transported to the military police station, he began speaking aloud to himself from the back seat of the patrol vehicle.
He was not being questioned.
The transporting officer testified that Meade spoke continuously and became increasingly agitated after seeing emergency responders arrive at the hotel.
According to the officer’s testimony, Meade made statements acknowledging that he struck his wife and expressing regret. The officer documented Meade saying, in substance, that he had not intended to hurt her, that he wanted intimacy, and that he hoped she would forgive him. He also acknowledged that she was injured.
The officer wrote the statements down as they were made. They were later introduced in court as evidence of Meade’s admissions immediately following the incident.
Trial and Sentence
On April 24, 2024, Meade was convicted by a military judge sitting alone at a general court-martial, contrary to his pleas, of domestic violence under Article 128b and disorderly conduct under Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The judge sentenced him to 10 days of confinement, issued a formal reprimand, and ordered his dismissal from the U.S. Army.
Dismissal permanently ends an officer’s military career.
Appellate Review
On appeal, Meade challenged the factual sufficiency of his conviction, arguing the government failed to prove how the assault occurred.
The government’s appellate brief points to the cumulative evidence, including the neighboring officer’s testimony, the victim’s injuries, the condition of the room, the absence of any weapon, and Meade’s own statements.
The appeal remains pending within the military appellate system.
© 2026 The Salty Soldier. All rights reserved.
