[marktwain]

“on his (Zimmerman’s) call to the dispatcher he said he was ‘following’ the kid and the dispatcher told him NOT to. He did it anyhow. He was the threatening one by skulking after the kid.”

Here is what the dispatcher said:

Dispatcher: Are you following him?

Zimmerman: Yeah

Dispatcher: Ok, we don't need you to do that.

That is a *long* way from the dispatcher telling him not to do it. Zimmerman had as much right to be in that public space as Martin did.

[Royal Wulff]

Also, who takes orders from a 911 operator?

[DesertRhino]

“Zimmerman had as much right to be in that public space as Martin did.”

Sure did. But say you are in a grocery store,,and some “Zimmerman” decides you are a shoplifter. And say that you are utterly innocent. The guy is 100% wrong about you. He calls the cops, etc,,, all fine.
But if decides to confront you and detain you,, you have every right to ignore him, not cooperate, and physically resist any attemot he makes to keep you from leaving.

Where the heck does everyone get the idea that anyone owes the slightest deference to some neighborhood watch guy living out his cop fantasy? Cops confront you, yes, you have to cooperate. Anyone else,, you can ignore them.

PS,,(if they will allow you to, unlike Zimmerman)