Michael Pulliam currently serves as inspector in the Office of the Field Commander in the Executive Office of the Chief of Police. Prior to taking that post, he served as inspector of the Seventh District, which includes much of the Southeast quadrant of the city, including the neighborhoods of Anacostia, Barry Farm, and Washington Highlands. Prior to his promotion, Pulliam served as a captain in the Executive Office of the Chief of Police.
Inspector Pulliam began his career with the Metropolitan Police Department in 2004 as a First District officer. In 2008, Pulliam joined what would become the First District Crime Suppression Team, a unit focused on the removal of illegal firearms and violent felons from the streets.
In February 2010 Pulliam was promoted to sergeant and assigned to the Sixth District, where he assisted Commander Robert J. Contee with transitioning the Sixth District’s Special Mission Units from traditional Vice operations to an intelligence lead policing model. While a sergeant, Pulliam completed the exceptionally challenging Emergency Response Team (ERT) School in November of 2013 and continued in an auxiliary role with ERT until his promotion to lieutenant in April of 2014.
As a lieutenant, Pulliam was assigned to the Fifth District, where he oversaw patrol operations during the overnight hours. He then served as the commanding officer of ERT, managing dozens of critical incidents and high-risk warrant services without a single serious use of force. In April of 2016, Chief Cathy Lanier promoted Pulliam to captain, where he was assigned back to the First District. Pulliam was tapped to lead the First District’s crime reduction efforts in the 2019 inaugural Fall Crime Prevention Initiative, and successfully led the agency in crime reduction during the initiative. During the January 6th incursion, Pulliam identified available personnel and formed an ad-hoc Civil Disturbance Response Platoon, which was deployed to the West Front of the US Capitol, and worked collaboratively with other MPD and USCP assets to secure the US Capitol and re-convene congress.
In 2021 Chief Robert J. Contee transferred Pulliam to the Executive Office of the Chief of Police to help lead the newly formed Office of the Field Commander. During his time as a Field Commander, Pulliam was responsible for the overnight operations of the agency, working to ensure the safety and security of the residents and visitors of Washington DC from sunset to sunrise. In July of 2023 Acting Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith promoted Pulliam to the role of inspector, and assigned him to assist Commander Lashay Makal (his academy classmate) with managing and motivating the members of the Seventh District.
Inspector Pulliam has a Bachelors in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park.