JURY CHOKE

Poll finds most wanted cop indicted

ALBANY — Nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers believe a Staten Island grand jury should have brought charges against the police officer who caused the death of Eric Garner, a new poll found.

The New York Times/Siena College poll also revealed that New Yorkers of color have starkly different views of the criminal justice system, race relations and Mayor de Blasio than white residents.

“On many of the questions, particularly as it relates to the Garner case, you see a strong difference between how black and Latino New Yorkers feel compared to how white New Yorkers feel,” said Siena pollster Steven Greenberg.

Among black respondents, 85% felt Officer Daniel Pantaleo should have been charged in Garner’s chokehold death and 86% want the federal government to bring civil rights charges against him, the poll found. Only 50% of white New Yorkers felt the grand jury should have indicted Pantaleo and 42% supported federal charges.

The findings were released as Public Advocate Letitia James said in a statement that her office has made an application to release all testimony and evidence presented to the Garner grand jury.

James’ staff will try to persuade a Staten Island judge to release the information next Friday.

The Times/Siena poll also found a sharp racial divide in perceptions of the criminal justice system, with 83% of blacks and 71% of Latinos saying people of color are not treated fairly.

Only 45% of whites felt that way. New Yorkers also see a worsening state of race relations.

Only 45% of adults described race relations in the city as good and 48% described them as bad, a stark drop from a year ago when 63% of New Yorkers described race relations as generally good.

Black voters were especially pessimistic, with 51% expressing the view that race relations were bad. White voters were spilt on the issue, with 46% describing race relations as good and 47% as bad.

The poll also offered a mixed review for the mayor as he heads toward the end of his first year in office.

Overall, 52% of New Yorkers approve of the way de Blasio has handled his job so far, but 52% believe the city is headed on the “wrong track.”

Demonstrator holds up sign in shadow of Empire State Building on Tuesday protesting Staten Island grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo in chokehold death of Eric Garner.