Exactly, Zimmerman was honest and maybe a pain in the neck. Hardly terrible traits.
And what’s so wrong with neighborhood watch or even police wannabe’s, it doesn’t mean a person is violent, and certainly not in this case.
Ride alongs are hardly unusual in smaller towns. Where I live, any resident is welcome to participate in a ride along. You sign up with the chief, they set you up for it, and away you go.