New York Post

Cromartie’s wife: Police racially profiled me

- By BRIAN LEWIS

Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie’s wife, Terricka, said she was pulled over Friday for “driving while black,” accusing New Jersey police of racial profiling in a string of posts on her Instagram account.

Terricka Cromartie recorded multiple videos Friday, both during the traffic stop — which seemingly occurred in the town of Madison — and afterward.

“So apparently you can’t be black, you can’t drive a nice car in Madison at 11 in the morning. I mean, who cares if you just came from the nail shop, you didn’t get a ticket, the police let you go and say have a nice day. Like that’s OK,’’ a clearly exasperate­d Terricka said in the poststop video.

She also posted two videos from the stop.

Cromartie claimed she asked the officer multiple times why she had been pulled over, and she has been stopped three to four times per month. She presumes it’s because she’s black.

A spokesman for Madison police gave NJ.com two different reasons for not addressing the incident when reached Friday.

“We haven’t even looked into it right now,” Acting Lt. John Miscia told the website. “We have no comment on it right now. I’m not at liberty to talk about it.”

Part of Cromartie’s dialogue with the officer that was captured on video.

Cromartie: “… Roll my windows down in my car.” Officer: “For safety reasons.” Cromartie: “For safety. But I’m not authorized to do that, either.”

Officer: “You don’t have to, which I explained to you.”

Cromartie: “So now I have to tell you why I’m in Madison?” Officer: “You don’t have to.” Cromartie: “But why are you asking me why I’m in Madison?” Officer: “Just curious.” Cromartie: “You don’t have to be curious about why I’m in Madison.”

Officer: “OK. All right. Just hang tight, ma’am, for me. And I’ll be right back, all right?”

The officer presumably returned to his vehicle at that point in the footage. Cromarite claimed in responses under her Instagram post she was not ticketed. Further details about the traffic stop — its genesis, the precise timing and whereabout­s, or the outcome — were not clear.

W AIT until Todd Bowles gets a load of this.

Gladys Knight wants to meet him as badly as he wants to meet her.

And it could happen as soon as Sunday’s home game against the Eagles for the Jets head coach, who’s smitten with the “Empress of Soul.’’ As of late Friday, Knight told The Post in an exclusive interview that she has hopes of getting to the game if her travel plans work out.

Whether or not Knight takes the midnight train to Met-Life Stadium, she sounded as keen on meeting Bowles as he is on meeting her.

“I’m really lowkey, just like Todd,’’ Knight told The Post. “I think we would be good buddies. I would love to meet him.’’

Bowles’ affinity for Knight has become a fun, humanizing element to his narrative as we have started to get to know him in his first season with the Jets.

Bowles’ lowpulse public demeanor is only altered when Knight’s name is mentioned. His mood always brightens when there’s any mention of Knight.

This all came to light on an August training camp day when a reporter, in an attempt to break through the wall of Bowles’ evenkeeled persona, asked if there is anything that excited him.

“If you want to get me excited, bring Gladys Knight in here,” he said, flashing a huge smile.

Since that day, Bowles’ love affair with Knight and her music has become a lightheart­ed backdrop to his story. If Bowles were not a football coach, he probably would have liked to have been one of Knight’s Pips.

At the start of Wednesday’s practice, while the players were stretching, the team’s soundsys tem engineers blared a Knight song over the speakers. The moment was not lost on Bowles, who didn’t know it was coming.

“I guess they were trying to be funny and get to me,” Bowles said.

Asked what he thought of the stunt, Bowles said, “I always think of Gladys. I smiled. I was getting ready to get into my Pips routine, if my knee wasn’t hurting. I’m going to hold back on that one and save it for a later date.”

When that story was relayed to Knight on Friday, she bellowed with laughter and said, “Do you know what kind of compliment that is? That is quite a compliment. I’m excited about that.’’

Knight, 71, had never even heard of Bowles, 51, until her husband, William McDowell, told her of Bowles’ comments about her.

“I said, ‘He likes me?’ I just cracked up,’’ Knight said. “My husband thought it was great. He’s not the jealous type.’’

Knight has become so taken by Bowles’ fondness toward her, she took to Twitter before and after the Jets’ Week 2 win over the Colts to praise him and his team.

On Monday night, before the Jets win, she tweeted: “I’m just now seeing all the amazing #ToddBowles posts. Hi Todd! Lol. We might have to take a selfie when I get to NY next week @nyjets #G70’’

The next day, after the win, she tweeted: “#ToddBowles & the @nyjets kicked butt last night. #Winning Maybe I am a good luck charm after all lol.’’

“I like Todd’s mannerisms, because his sport is such an upanddown thing, and if you get too overjoyed about it, the disappoint­ment is greater,’’ Knight said. “It’s like I haven’t had a record out in almost 20 years, but I’m excited about the one I’ve got out right now. I’m trying not to get too, too excited about it, because I really want people to like it … like I really want the Jets to win this game.

“They’re on a roll right now. They’re 20, so come on y’all!’’

Indeed, Friday was a game day of sorts for Knight, because it was the release date of her first new single in nearly 20 years — “Just a Little’’ — a precursor to her new album that’s coming out in 2016.

Knight is no stranger to having the desire to meet someone she’s admired from afar, so she can relate to Bowles’ crush.

“I’m in awe of people who’ve accomplish­ed wonderful things … of people who succeed,’’ she said. “It was really something when I met Walter Payton. He was just the most humble person that I had ever met. I ran across Elvis Presley … I just met Beyoncé a little while ago and I really have a lot of respect and admiration for her and the success that she’s had.

“I’m trying to get to the Jets game this weekend. Maybe I’ll get a chance to meet Todd then. I’ve got to go to the Super Bowl this year, because the Jets are going to be there.’’

Music to Bowles’ ears, all of it.

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