Police Detectives Acquitted in Sean Bell Shooting

Three New York Police Department detectives were acquitted of all charges today in the killing of Sean Bell, a 23-year-old black man. A total of 50 bullets were fired outside a bachelor party at a Queens strip club on the unarmed Bell and two other men who were injured in the gunfire. The trial has gained national attention for what was considered an excessive use of force by the detectives, who believed the men were armed.

It's critical to point out that when it comes to public attitudes about the police and criminal justice, there's a significant racial and ethnic divide in American thinking. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of whites say they have a "great deal" or a "fair amount" of confidence in police officers to not use excessive force on suspects. Contrast that with just 38 percent of blacks who say the same. These racial differences carry over into survey questions about confidence in police officers to treat blacks and whites equally, with 37 percent of blacks saying "a great deal" or "a fair amount," compared to 74 percent of whites.