“The question was how Zimmerman should have taken the police advice, “We don’t need you to do that”, not which line to the police he was on.”
He wasn’t on with the police. That right there makes it legally irrelevant. Since when can’t you assert self-defense after failing to heed what a fellow civilian tells you they don’t need you to do? But that’s not the real point. Do we know for sure whether or not he did follow the non-lawful non-order? I’m not aware of any evidence proving he continued to follow Martin afterwards.
Really? In whose budget does Sean's salary fall?