General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: ZIMMERMAN TRIAL: Day 2, Tuesday, June 25. [View all]GreenStormCloud
(12,072 posts)Testimony has already established that when the dispatcher said, "We don't need you to do that." Z was already following TM. He quit when the dispatcher told him that. The dispatcher NEVER told him to stay in his vehicle. The dispatcher asked him which way TM had gone. Z had lost sight of TM and interpreted the dispatchers question as a request that he find out which way TM had gone.
Z did ignore neighborhood watch protocol. Their protocol is to avoid confrontations, stay in your vehicle where it is safer.
Assume for a moment that TM actually was casing homes for burglary while walking home. I AM NOT SAYING THAT HE ACTUALLY WAS DOING THAT, I AM SHOWING HOW Z WAS WRONG. Z spots a suspicious person and calls the non-emergency number of the police. TM sees Z in his truck and walks towards him, then turns and runs. At that point Z has done what neighborhood watch is supposed to do. TM has seen that he has been observed and will likely cool it on burglarizing local homes. Z can sit in his truck for a few minutes, give the police a good description, then go about his business. Nobody gets hurt. Instead, when Z got out of the truck, he blew it.
Unfortunately, it wasn't against the law for Z to get out of his truck, nor did the dispatcher tell him not to.