Tempers flared Wednesday in the steamy and cramped media tent city across
 the street from the Little Havana home of Elian's relatives -- a New York Post
 reporter allegedly stabbed an NBC 6 cameraman with her pen.

 Cameraman Carlos Rigau has a small hole in his back to prove it and a matching
 pinpoint ink stain on the back of his red shirt.

 He also has two high-profile witnesses: reporters Hank Tester and Patricia
 Andreu. The pair was on the air live, interviewing Democracy Movement leader
 Ramon Saul Sanchez, when New York Post reporter Maria Alvarez, leaned over
 to listen in, they said.

 ``This person comes through with a notebook and we asked her to leave,'' said
 Tester, who feared she would disrupt the interview held in NBC 6's tent. ``She
 said, `F--- you, I'm getting the story,' or something like that. The cameraman,
 Carlos Rigau, moved his arm to get her out of the way. The next thing I saw was
 the flash of her hand -- and Carlos kind of winced. She stabbed him!''

 ``At this point, she used a lot of `F' words.''

 Tester suspects viewers could have heard the heated words.

 Alvarez was being questioned by police and could not be reached for comment.

 Another NBC 6 employee held Alvarez back until the live interview's end. After the
 day's big events had been reported, the crew made another report: to Miami
 police officers stationed at the end of the block. They charged Alvarez with
 aggravated battery and battery -- the latter charge for allegedly hitting another
 NBC 6 cameraman, Robert Hernandez.

 Aggravated battery is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a
 $10,000 fine; battery is a misdemeanor that carries a sentence of up to one year
 in jail.

 Tester said it was a first: ``I love all the print brethren,'' he said, ``but keep away
 the New York press.''

 BOUND BY DUTY

 Miami police spokesman Angel Calzadilla has appeared on five national network
 shows to talk about being a Cuban-American police officer.

 The native Miamian is the son and grandson of Cuban exiles who instilled in him a
 loathing of communism.

 ``I grew up knowing that communism is bad, and it breaks my heart to hear that
 Elian or anyone for that matter has to return to that misery,'' Calzadilla said. ``But
 at the same time, when I put on my uniform and I put a badge on my chest, I
 swore that I would uphold the laws of this country. That's a responsibility that I
 take very seriously and I would not hesitate at any time to protect life or property,
 whether it be that of a federal agent or a local citizen.''

 Calzadilla said he would uphold the law even if it meant doing so with a broken
 heart, and he likened the situation to that of a black officer who must protect a Ku
 Klux Klansman at a rally or a Jewish officer having to protect Nazi demonstrators.

 So, if Elian escapes the grasp of federal agents and is standing next to you, what
 would you do?

 Calzadilla smiles and laughs. He finally responds: ``That's a hypothetical I can't
 answer.''

 Herald staff writers Ana Acle, Karen Branch, Frank Davies and Manny Garcia
 contributed to this report.