Michael McCullom, 51, of Andover is arraigned in Lawrence District Court after he was charged with pulling a gun on a plow truck driver.TIM JEAN/Staff photo

ANDOVER, Mass. — The CEO of a large employee benefits brokerage firm who is also a board member for The Lawrence Boys & Girls Club has been charged with pulling a gun on a snowplow truck driver.

Michael McCullom, 51, pulled a 9-mm gun during a fistfight with a plow truck driver Tuesday morning in a parking lot. 

McCullom is the CEO, president and founder of Custom Benefits Group, an employee benefit brokerage firm providing marketing for services including medical, dental, life and disability insurance and 401K plans, according to its website.

The fight happened after the two drivers nearly collided in traffic and blamed each other, according to the police report. McCullom was turning left and the plow driver, identified by police as Paul Connelly, was turning right, according to police.

McCullom followed the plow driver to a parking lot, where the altercation took place and McCullom pulled out a gun, the police report said.

Police charged McCullom with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery “because he used a dangerous weapon during an altercation and because of the fact that McCullom initiated the altercation by following Connelly into the parking lot to yell at him when he could have fled the scene,” the report reads.

McCullom is being held without bail.

“After hearing from both the Commonwealth and the defense, the court does find probable cause to justify the scheduling of a dangerousness hearing,’’ Judge Michael Uhlarik said. “Mr. McCullom will be held without bail pending that dangerousness hearing,’’

McCullom’s lawyer, William DiAdamo, objected to McCullom being held without bail pending the dangerousness hearing. 

DiAdamo told the judge that McCullom had pulled into the parking lot after the plow driver had done so because he believed his vehicle had been clipped by the plow and he wanted to exchange information.

“Mr. McCullom is a businessman in the community,” DiAdamo said. “He has a family — wife and three children — has an office and business in Andover. I should say it is an insurance business. One of the reasons he was sort of hyper-sensitive to the idea of exchanging information with the driver of the other vehicle is he certainly knew what was supposed to happen, what he was supposed to do under the circumstances.

“Mr. McCullom has no record whatsoever and frankly, your honor, there is I think no justifiable reason why he should be held on dangerousness at this point,” DiAdamo said.

DiAdamo also said the gun was used to calm the situation.

“The situation with the firearm began simply … to de-escalate the situation, in that obviously the physical altercation could have been worse than it actually was, but because the firearm was pulled both sides stepped down and nobody to my knowledge was hurt,” DiAdamo said.

The hearing will determine whether McCullom is considered a danger to society and if he will continue to be held without bail as the case moves forward.

The report details the conversation between McCullom and a police officer about the weapon, which, at first, McCullom claimed was a BB gun.

“McCullom then got out of his vehicle with what initially he had stated to me was a BB gun, but then after speaking with him for a moment, he stated he took out a firearm, which was a Smith and Wesson 9 millimeter …,’’ Patrolman Christopher Hughes stated in his report.

“I asked McCullom why he initially told me a BB gun and he stated that, ‘he knew it looked bad so he made a mistake and lied to me.’ McCullom explained he put the the firearm, which was unloaded, in his jacket before exiting the vehicle,” Hughes said in the report.

The report said officers learned from the police station dispatch that Connelly had a suspended license. Police said they will issue a citation to Connelly and he will be summonsed to court on charges of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and assault and battery. The police report provided no age, address or other information about Connelly.

Date writes for the (Massachusetts) Eagle-Tribune.