HAMDEN -- According to a new independent poll by Quinnipiac University, Hamden residents don't think the police shooting in April was justified.
The report says 66% of residents don't believe the April 16th shooting was justified but 62-29% approve the job Hamden police are doing.
"This survey suggests that Hamdenites regard the incident as an aberration rather than indicative how the Hamden Police Department operates," said Quinnipiac University School of Law Professor William Dunlap.
The poll also reports that there are pronounced racial differences in attitudes about police:
- The April 16th shooting was not justified according to 88% of black residents, 60% of white residents, and 68% of Hispanic residents.
- Overall approval of Hamden Police is 50-43% among black residents, 67-26% among white residents, and 66-24% among Hispanic residents.
The poll finds that 79% of residents in Hamden feel like they can trust the local police to do "what is right".
"These differences among racial groups seem to be typical of attitudes reported in other cities in the wake of police shootings around the country.
Read the full poll below.