As A Former Law Enforcement Officer, My Impressions Of The Martin Case.

[RBInMaine]

26. No, that is not "stalking." Stalking is the REPEATED following of someone with an intent to

intimidate or harass. This was an in-the-moment situation, obviously not a longer term and repeated situation. Zimmerman did have the right to follow Trayvon at least for a short amount of time to continue to watch what he was doing. However, it was BAD judgement, not what a neighborhood watch person SHOULD have been doing, and we discover that he also was pursuing him after already having profiled him as a burglar. Zimmerman referred to Trayvon as "one of these assholes that always gets away" and may well have also used a racial epithet just as he starting to follow Trayvon. (They are still analyzing the tape.) That goes to Zimmerman's intention and frame of mind. He had assumed that Trayvon had bad intentions. He profiled this kid. And then he confronted the kid. So while he did technically have the right to merely follow Trayvon for a short time to monitor his behavior further, he then went beyond that. He did so with an aggressive attitude, and possibly a racist attitude, and he ended up aggravating the situation bigtime when he confronted Trayvon. Evidence shows that Zimmerman first repeatedly said to Trayvon, "What are you doing here?" And then an altercation apparently ensued. Zimmerman apparently did not have his gun out at that point, so we can't say he immediately intended to just walk up and shoot Trayvon. That didn't happen.
But when the altercation ensued, one obviously instigated by Zimmerman, Trayvon very arguably was now defending himself, and then Zimmerman pulls the gun and shoots. Zimmerman went in aggressive and aggravated this situation, and from all I can see should have been best charged at least with manslaughter or the Florida equivalent for reckless homicide.