Was it clear to the officer that he was a reporter, or was the reporter a conservative under cover pretending to be an agitator?
and if Sgt. Burton thought he was using fake papers he should have arrested him!
I think the reporter is fudging the truth!!
Or the Sgt. was on triple overtime and maybe didn't put 2 and 2 together!!
In which case a shove and no arrest isn't the worst sin!!
When I was a kid in Brooklyn the Cops would say "I'll give you a break this time" and give you a hop in the ass and spill out the beer!! We didn't mind!!