"HeyBub" wrote in message
m...
Han wrote:

ALL volunteer watch people are told not to confront anyone (I was on
one for a while when we lived on Long Island). I also heard that was
the case in Sanford (sp?). Moreover, those watches should not carry
any weapons whatsoever. Period. The fact that Zimmerman did carry a
firearm, did follow the kid, and did confront him AND struggled with
him means to me (but I'm not on the jury) that Zimmerman is guilty as
sin.

Not "ALL". The instructions given to volunteers in New York are probably
wildly different than those given to a collegue in other states. For
example, in my state, the law is:

TEXAS PENAL CODE
§ 9.42. DEADLY FORCE TO PROTECT PROPERTY. A person is justified in using
deadly force against another to protect land or tangible, movable
property:
(2) when and to the degree he reasonably believes the deadly force is
immediately necessary:
(A) to prevent the other's imminent commission of arson, burglary,
robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the nighttime, or CRIMINAL
MISCHIEF DURING THE NIGHTTIME... (emphasis added)

A cop, instructing neighborhood watch wardens, would be way off base
telling citizens they should not carry a weapon or used deadly force when
they clearly have the statutory right to do both


That's no big surprise
Many police departments have a long history of ignoring the law, one way or
another.