Was it really 911?
PJ
It’s been consistently referred to as 911, but alternately described that he was talking to a “dispatcher” or “operator”. They can advise him, but they certainly aren’t giving him orders that he must follow. Besides, just as Trayvon was free to walk around, so was Zimmerman. It was his neighborhood, and he obviously felt a responsibility to see what Trayvon was up to.
If he had indeed called a community watch liason or officer that would be very different circumstance. But I don’t believe that was the case.
I don’t know what the “rules” are, if any, for a community watch. In my former neighborhood, the deputies came and we had a meeting about setting up a community watch. A couple of the Sheriff’s Deputies gave us their numbers to call them directly if necessary, which I really think is better than calling 911 over “suspicious” behavior. I think that’s how it should be, is the community keeps an eye out, but lets a cop who is familiar with the neighborhood and the residents, handle anything unusual.