Denver police are investigating an apparent road rage incident involving an off-duty Denver Sheriff's deputy.

The facts of the incident are vigorously disputed.

According to police, Deputy Doug Gomez's vehicle was rear-ended Thursday at East 43rd Avenue and Tower Road by a GMC Envoy carrying Jennifer and Edward Madrid.

All three got out of their cars, at which point Edward Madrid "charged" Gomez, according to the report.

While Edward Madrid and Gomez were fighting, Jennifer Madrid allegedly returned to her car, grabbed a cell-phone charger and hit Gomez with it, according to the report.

The report states that both Madrids then ran back to their car and tried to drive away. Gomez then reached through the car's window as the Madrids tried to flee.

The report lists Gomez as the victim and Edward and Jennifer Madrid as suspects.

Jennifer Madrid said the opposite is true.

She said as she was trying to turn off Tower Road, Gomez was speeding and slowing in the adjacent lane, not allowing her to turn.

Gomez cut her off, she said, causing her to rear-end his car.

"He said that he would 'f' me up that I hit his vehicle," Jennifer Madrid said. "He was throwing his arms out and telling us 'come on, come on.' "

She said Gomez then put Edward Madrid into a headlock, until he "was ready to pass out." Hitting Gomez with the phone charger, she said, was self-defense.

As they tried to drive away, "I'm trying to roll up the window," she said. "The man just comes up and lunges into the passenger side, and he is socking at my husband.

"I have two young children who were in the vehicle screaming at the man to stop hitting their father."

She said none of her version of events was added to the police report.

"My family is being wronged by the police," she said.

Denver Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said the department is working to interview witnesses.

"We're talking with both sides of the incident to determine exactly what happened," he said.

The sheriff's department has decided not to open an internal investigation into Gomez's conduct at this time, spokesman Frank Gale said.

"One of the problems with this is all the conflicting information," he said. "There's too many things going on. All the facts of the case are just not known to us."

coonsj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5617