New York- No-nonsense TV newsman Mike Wallace’s tough questions got him arrested in Manhattan last night when he asked two taxi cops why they were grilling his limousine driver, sources and witnesses said.

The legendary 60 Minutes reporter was spun against his black Lincoln Town Car, handcuffed behind his back and shoved into a Taxi and Limousine Commission car during the heated confrontation on Third Ave. at 79th St.

“I’m 86 years old! I’m 86 years old!” Wallace shouted, according to witnesses.

“What are you doing? I’m a reporter, not a criminal,” he protested.

The two TLC agents emptied Wallace’s pockets before hauling him off to the 19th Precinct stationhouse, where he was slapped with a disorderly conduct summons and released.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the two TLC cops knew they were tangling with a renowned newsman who has been a TV mainstay since the 1950s.

Wallace couldn’t be reached for comment, but CBS News said in a statement released to Channel 2, “Mike is at home, and he is fine.”

The bizarre incident unfolded about 8 p.m, when Wallace ran into Luke’s Bar and Grill to pick up an order of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy he had called ahead for, said the joint’s owner, Luigi Militello, 46.

Meanwhile, the two TLC officers started questioning Wallace’s driver, who was double-parked.

Wallace was alerted to the situation, left Luke’s and demanded, “What’s going on?”

“One of the officers yelled at him, ‘Don’t give me any lip!'” Militello said.

“Then, Mr. Wallace said, ‘I’m not giving you any lip.'”

Wallace stepped into his limo for a moment, then returned to pepper the officers with more questions. “The cop said, ‘Get back into your car, sir,’ in a very nasty tone of voice,” said Ernesto Cavalli, manager of the nearby Due restaurant and a friend of Wallace’s.

“I could tell Mr. Wallace was taken aback by his tone so he asked another question,” Cavalli said.

But before he knew it, Wallace, dressed in a button-down shirt, slacks and a cap, was being manhandled by one officer, Cavalli said.

“He grabbed him by the sleeve, pushed him forward against the car and twisted his arms behind his back, all while yelling, ‘I’m going to arrest you!'” Cavalli said.

But Wallace fought back – with words.

“I’m 86 years old! I’m 86 years old! What are you doing? I’m a reporter, not a criminal,” Cavalli recalled Wallace shouting.

“He was stunned. He had this look on his face like, ‘What’s happening to me?'” Cavalli said.

One of the officers even threatened to arrest some of the restaurant customers who spoke up in defense of Wallace, who is a regular at both Luke’s and Due.

“He didn’t do anything wrong! Leave him home!” patrons cried.

“But [the TLC agents] didn’t stop,” Militello said.

Militello said Wallace later called him to say he was okay, and at home finally enjoying the meatloaf dinner.

A TLC spokesman did not return several calls for comment last night.

Mike Wallace isn’t the first high-profile journalist to run into trouble on New York’s mean streets. Here are some infamous incidents:

In 1986, CBS anchor Dan Rather was beaten by a wacko attacker on Park Avenue. Police said William Tager, 49, came at Rather with a stream of near-gibberish that included the question “What’s the frequency?” and a word the newsman told cops sounded like the name “Kenneth.” When Rather sought refuge in a building lobby, he was struck from behind, knocked down and repeatedly kicked in the neck and kidneys.

In 1994, Tager was identified as the man who fatally shot an NBC technician outside the “Today” show studios.

In March, an unemployed Staten Island computer technician was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw in a flurry of E-mails.

Last year, CNN anchor Jack Cafferty pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident after hitting a bicyclist in midtown. The bicyclist suffered minor injuries. Cafferty was ordered to pay a $250 fine and perform 70 hours of community service.