Michael Meredith, 57, a now-former police officer with the West Goshen Township Police Department in Chester County, Pennsylvania, faces charges including strangulation, simple assault and driving under the influence after a domestic-related incident on Sunday, November 8, according to court documents reported by NBC10 Philadelphia on November 10, 2026. He remained jailed on Tuesday on $100,000 bail, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 20.
What police say happened on Sunday
According to court documents cited by NBC10, a person called police on Sunday, November 8, and reported that Meredith had struck them in the face. Responding officers later found Meredith sitting in the driver's seat of a car and reported smelling "an odor of alcoholic beverage" coming from him.
6ABC Action News reported that police responded to a home along the 300 block of Saint James Road on Sunday. NBC10 noted that the incident location was redacted in the police report obtained by its investigators. The identity of the person who reported the incident has not been publicly released, and no details have been released about any injuries beyond the allegation in the court documents.
The charges
Meredith faces charges including strangulation, simple assault and DUI, NBC10 reported, citing the court documents. 6ABC reported the same two headline charges — DUI and strangulation — in its account of the domestic-related incident. The charges are allegations, and Meredith is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Resigned on Monday, jailed on Tuesday
The Chester County District Attorney's Office confirmed on Monday that Meredith was a member of the West Goshen Township Police Department. NBC10 reported that the department confirmed Meredith had resigned on Monday. He remained jailed on Tuesday on $100,000 bail, according to NBC10, which said court records did not list an attorney for Meredith.
Why this case matters
Cases in which a police officer is accused of a crime are handled in public, like any other criminal case, and they test the trust a community places in its own police department. West Goshen Township is a suburban community in Chester County, west of Philadelphia, and its residents rely on the same township officers Meredith served alongside. When the accused is a former officer, the charging decision and the court process carry extra weight for the people who live there.
What happens next
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 20. At that hearing, a judge will hear evidence and decide whether the charges should move forward to trial. Until then, Meredith remains in custody on $100,000 bail, and the case will proceed through the Chester County court system. No attorney was listed for Meredith in the court records reviewed by NBC10, so it is not yet known how he will respond to the charges in court.
What is solid
- Meredith, 57, was a member of the West Goshen Township Police Department and resigned on Monday, November 9.
- He faces charges including strangulation, simple assault and DUI, according to court documents.
- He remained jailed on Tuesday on $100,000 bail, with a preliminary hearing set for November 20.
What is only claimed
- The strangulation and assault allegations come from the person who called police on November 8; they have not been tested in court.
- The exact incident location was redacted in the police report obtained by NBC10; 6ABC reported the 300 block of Saint James Road.
For readers in Pennsylvania and across the United States, the case is a reminder that police accountability cases move through the same courts as any other — with charges that must be proved, a preliminary hearing to test them, and a presumption of innocence until a verdict. Awaaz Punjab will follow the November 20 hearing for any further developments.