As Zimmerman narrated, the dispatcher asked: “Are you following him?”
“Yeah,” Zimmerman replied.
“We don’t need you to do that,” the dispatcher said. An interpretation of that exchange could be key in deciding whether Zimmerman acted recklessly in pursuing Martin. Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee, in an interview last week, suggested that Zimmerman did not.
“That’s another question we get quite often: ‘He was told not to follow him.’’’ Lee said in an interview last week. “Well that’s a recommendation or a suggestion. It’s not a lawful order.”
Zimmerman’s responsibility to stay in his truck and keep out of it was a “moral responsibility,” Lee said. Zimmerman told police that he was headed back to his truck when Martin jumped him from behind, Lee said.
When you roll all this together, Mr Zimmerman is only guilty if he struck Mr. Martin with serious force or illegally in possession of a firearm. A push or shove that does not cause a fall or injury has bee ruled insufficient in Florida to satisfy self defense.
‘He was told not to follow him.’
Saying "We don't need you to" is NOT syntactically equivalent to "we forbid you".