GLENWOOD SPRINGS – Police will not move forward with the criminal investigation into allegations that a Glenwood Springs police detective attacked a man last week at a rescue scene.

According to Glenwood Springs police chief Terry Wilson, the man who made the allegations, Byron Brown, 26, of Glenwood Springs, made the decision to cease the criminal investigation.

According to a news release sent out Thursday by Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario, Brown said, “I am satisfied that this situation will be resolved internally between myself and the Glenwood Springs Police Department. I do not wish to deal with this issue through the media and would prefer not to be contacted further.”

Brown could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

The attack allegedly occurred on the morning of Aug. 30 near the mouth of Hubbard Cave as Brown helped John Hadar – who had been lost in the cave for 41⁄2 days with his girlfriend Sherry DeCrow – to safety. The alleged attacker was not identified.

Brown filed a complaint soon after the incident, and the incident was to be investigated by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. But Brown decided that any investigation could be handled internally after speaking with police officials Thursday, Wilson said.

“I think he had a good chat with the sheriff about some of their differences,” Wilson said. “We shared a lot of good information about everyone’s concerns on both sides.”

Wilson stressed that the decision not to move forward with the investigation was Brown’s alone.

“I think it was an appropriate decision,” Wilson said. “I told him if it was my druthers, that’s how I’d handle things, but it was his choice.”

Contact Greg Masse: 945-8515, ext. 511

gmasse@postindependent.com