CBS newsman Mike Wallace issued summons for alleged disorderly conduct

Wednesday, August 11th 2004, 9:06 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ ``60 Minutes'' correspondent Mike Wallace, arrested in a dispute with city parking enforcement inspectors, says he wonders why anyone thought that he, at 86, was a threat.

Wallace was handcuffed and taken to police precinct headquarters after the incident Tuesday evening outside. He was released after being issued a summons citing him with disorderly conduct.

The dispute began as Wallace was leaving an Upper East Side restaurant, WCBS-TV reported. Wallace saw two Taxi and Limousine Commission inspectors interviewing his driver, who they said was double-parked outside the restaurant.

The TLC said Wallace approached the inspectors and became ``overly assertive and disrespectful,'' interfering with their ability to perform their duties, according to WCBS.

The inspectors then asked him to step away from the car and Wallace refused, lunging at one of the inspectors, according to the TLC. Spokesman Allan Fromberg told the New York Post that ``the other inspector feared for his partner's safety.''

Wallace laughed off the notion.

``I'm an 86-year-old man,'' he told the Post. ``For whatever reason, this guy and his buddy were intent upon telling me that I was interfering with the execution of the law.''

Luigi Militello, the manager of Luke's Restaurant, told WCBS that the inspectors ``manhandled'' Wallace.

CBS said in a statement Tuesday that Wallace was at home and that more information would be released if it became available. Wallace has been with CBS since the 1950s and on its flagship ``60 Minutes'' newsmagazine since its inception in 1968.

Wallace is due in court in October.