"Against the expressed advice and request of the police" -- yeah, that's the counterargument people keep making, and they always seem to think it's some sort of 'gotcha'. I really don't see it. Like, because he didn't listen to the 911 operator, it suddenly becomes reasonable or legal for Martin to attack him, or he somehow no longer deserves sympathy.BlueShiftRhino wrote:
Yup. Waiting for the police would have been completely unreasonable. The guy was walking. In a hoodie! Every second counted. If Zimmerman hadn't intervened - against the expressed advice and request of the police - who knows what would have happened.
Or the fact that Zimmerman didn't "intervene" in anything; he'd already lost sight of Martin by this point, was simply trying to ascertain which direction he had gone in, and was already headed back to his car as instructed when Martin stepped out of the shadows. (see, I can use italics too).
People who put stock in the 911 operator's instructions should remember that emergency personnel also instruct people not to run back into a burning building to save a baby. If someone was injured doing so, I suppose you'd feel he deserved it and shouldn't receive health coverage.