More than a dozen Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officials were placed on administrative leave Monday following an internal investigation into manipulated crime data reporting, but the Daily Caller learned there may be more to the story.
A total of 13 MPD officials were placed on administrative leave and served termination papers “related to crime reporting,” according to interim D.C. Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll. This announcement comes after federal reports from 2025 challenged the accuracy of D.C.’s crime data under former Police Chief Pamela Smith’s leadership, alleging the department had downplayed and misclassified hundreds of crimes. (RELATED: MPD Quietly Terminates Officials Over Crime Stat Manipulation: REPORT)
“Our top priority remains to be fighting crime and keeping the residents and visitors of the District of Columbia safe,” Carroll said during a press conference on Tuesday. “MPD cannot provide specific information on the findings of internal investigations or propose adverse actions against specific members. Our internal affairs bureau has completed an investigation into crime reporting. This investigation was referred to us earlier this year from the United States Attorney’s office. Beyond that, I cannot get into any specifics of the investigation.”
“What I can tell you is that there were allegations of misconduct that were made, and based on those allegations, members were investigated, and the outcome is related to these individuals.”
(Photo by Luke Johnson/Getty Images)
This abrupt shakeup sounded the alarm for some within the MPD, with one person familiar with the situation telling the Daily Caller that two officials were specifically punished by Smith, who sought to shut down dissent in the ranks.
Cmdr. Michael Pulliam was one of the 13 officials served termination papers on Monday in relation to the investigation, but has denied all allegations, according to NBC News4. Pulliam’s wife, Capt. Rachel Pulliam, was also abruptly transferred out of the Juvenile Investigative Response Unit’s youth division in April 2025, just one week after Smith and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser launched the JIRU unit. Pulliam was subsequently reassigned to the midnight shift in the department’s 7th district. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: How DC Police Manipulate Crime Stats To Provide False Veneer Of Safety)
The source familiar with the process but who declined to be named told The Daily Caller that it was a complete power move by Smith to shut down dissent in the ranks.
The source also told the Caller that Smith targeted and reprimanded the Pulliams over a personal dispute with the wife, who was “perceived as being insubordinate,” not because of the alleged manipulation of crime statistics. (RELATED: FBI Director Brags About DC Crime Drop Using Same Police Data Trump Called ‘Fake’)
Pulliam is literally the only police official in D.C. that actually cared about solving crime, the source told the Caller.
The Metropolitan Police Department told the Daily Caller they “cannot comment further on internal investigations and personnel matters.” MPD also referred the Caller to Tuesday’s press conference held by interim Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll.